Fast Forward
by LindaLeeB
Summary: Follow-on to "Beginnings". A future look into the lives of Steve and Danny McGarrett-Williams. A/U. Slash Warning! Sixth in the series.
1. Fall 2012

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

_This story will look in on the McGarrett-Williams family at various times in the future. A/U_

**Fall 2012**

It's fall again, although Danny McGarrett-Williams sees no sign of fall unless you count kids in school and football season. The leaves aren't turning glorious shades of sunset. There's no chill in the air. If anything, it's still hot as hell. Still, life is good.

The year started with the civil ceremony with his lover and partner, Steve McGarrett-Williams. He survived the birth of Rachel and Stan's baby, Charlie. Danny smirked when he thought of Charlie. Since the weekend in March when they kept Charlie overnight, Steve had been waging a sneaky battle with Rachel to call the baby Charlie. Even Stan happily came over to their side after a couple of weeks. Rachel only relented when she realized that while "Charles" kept her up most of the night, "Charlie" slept soundly most nights.

Charlie stayed over at their home at least a couple of times a month. After that first weekend, Steve became pretty attached to the little guy. Danny expected Stan to object to the bond between baby and SEAL, but he didn't. After a few weeks, Stan finally confessed that he thought that Charlie's only shot at enjoying normal kid things was during the time he spent with them. Rachel was intent on raising what Stan called a 'country club' son. Stan was hoping for a more rough and tumble childhood for Charlie.

Steve, Danny, and Grace spent a wonderful week in New Jersey during 4th of July week. Danny treated the family to a Yankees game. Steve could no longer say that he had never been to a professional baseball game. Steve enjoyed the game mostly because Danny was so damn happy to have him there.

Five-0's relationship with the governor and HPD continued to improve. Steve and the governor only butted heads a couple of times. The first time, the governor relented against his better judgment. Fortunately, Steve proved correct in his recommendation. The second time, Steve yielded to the governor's decision. The governor's plan didn't go so well, and he hadn't interfered much since. Steve continued to keep him in the loop, and the governor was content to Steve run the team the way he wanted.

Steve's workout group expanded to almost double the initial turnout. Steve still made most sessions, but a couple of the officers took over when he was unable to be there. HPD started to turn to Five-0 for backup on some of their cases. Steve recognized more of the patrolmen (and women) who responded to their calls for backup.

The most significant milestone of the year came in the spring when Five-0 captured Wo Fat. Steve received intel from Wade Gutches that Wo Fat was coming back to Hawaii to take out Steve and his team. Working with Adam Yoshimuri and his henchmen, Steve was able to determine where Wo Fat would be landing. Five-0 and SWAT were waiting for him.

Wo Fat was in Halawa for only a week when he was found dead in his cell. He had been stabbed once in the heart. Steve suspected one of Yoshimuri's gang was responsible, but he didn't really care. Wo Fat was dead and would never hurt someone Steve loved again.

Now, it's a Friday night, and Danny and Steve are home, just the two of them. Grace was spending the next week at the Edwards' home. She had been back to alternating weeks once Charlie kept to a more normal schedule in May. Normally, Steve was in a good mood at the start of the weekend. Instead, he was listless. Danny mentally reviewed the events of the day and could find no reason for Steve's mood.

Finally, Danny decided to meet the problem head-on. "Steven, do you want to tell me what's on your mind?"

Steve looked up at Danny, surprised at the question. Steve thought he was being discrete, but he should have realized that Danny was quite adept at reading him. His problem was that he wasn't sure how Danny would react when he told Danny what was bothering him.

His life with Danny and Grace was so great. It was so much more that he ever expected to have in his whole life. Steve knew he was being selfish to want more, but he did. Suddenly, Steve couldn't sit still any longer. He stood to pace the living room.

Danny stopped him on his tenth pass through the room. "Babe, whatever it is, just tell me. We can work it out together."

That was all it took for Steve to spill his problem to Danny. "Danno, I'm tired of coming home every other week to an empty house. I love having Grace here, and I love when we can keep Charlie overnight. Danny, I love being a father. I want us to have a child here all the time. Danny, I know we decided to table the issue until the end of the year, but I want a baby now."

Danny wasn't surprised at Steve's declaration. He watched Steve fall utterly in love with Charlie, and he knew Steve would want to add a baby to their family. Danny wanted that too. "Steve, you realize that we can't just order one out of the Sears' catalog?"

Steve relaxed and let out a laugh. "I know, Danny. But did you know that there's an agency here in Honolulu that registers women who are willing to be surrogates? One of us would provide the sperm, and a doctor would inject it when the woman is ovulating. It might take a few months or years, but then we would have a baby. He or she would be ours: yours and mine."

"It sounds like you've done some research."

"I have. Please don't be mad, but this is something that I've been thinking out for a while. We could swing it financially. Wo Fat is out of the picture, and we've been working a more normal schedule for a while. I'd be willing to resign my commission with the Navy. I know it will be rough the first few months, but it would be so worth it." Steve was sweating, and he was talking with his hands.

"Calm down, babe. I agree that it would be great for us to add to our family. And it sounds like it would be faster to make our own instead of waiting for a baby to adopt. You said once that you don't need to have a child with your DNA. Is that still true?"

Steve knew his answer could be a problem. Danny had been so happy when he thought that Rachel was having his baby. He believed that Danny would want to be the sperm donor. The problem was that Steve wanted to be the donor, and he didn't think that they could manage two babies. This would stretch their resources until the child was older. Money wasn't the problem; time was the issue. They would want to be as hands-on as possible.

"Well, not really. I would like to be the donor. I know you wanted to have another child too. I guess we could discuss which one of us provides the sperm. The most important thing is that we both want to go forward with this."

Danny didn't have to think twice about either issue. He already fathered a child; he wouldn't object to letting Steve father this one. Besides, he wanted to see what a little McGarrett would be like. "There's no need for discussion. I've already added a Williams to the population. I think the world needs another McGarrett."

Steve knew that Danny was making the sacrifice for his sake. He drew Danny close and kissed him. It was sweet and tender. "Not another McGarrett. A McGarrett-Williams."

And just like that, it was decided. It took weeks of paperwork, not to mention reviewing the files of prospective surrogates. They had it narrowed down to two candidates. Jessica Chandler was a tall, slender woman with a quiet demeanor. On paper, she was the ideal choice. Jessica was in her late 20's and had one child. She was divorced, so there was no husband to object to the arrangement. She also graduated in the top 10% of her college class.

The other candidate, Shelley Young, was a little older and married. She already had two children, but she loved the pregnancy experience. She also liked the idea of helping a couple add to their family. Shelley's husband and children supported her in her endeavor. Steve liked her immediately. She reminded him of Danny. Shelley was articulate, funny, and talked with her hands. She was also on the short side, with dark blonde hair and pretty blue eyes.

Surprisingly, Danny didn't see the resemblance. He was sure that Steve would pick Jessica, although he thought she was kind of a bitch. It turned out that Shelley's grandparents lived in Brooklyn, and he spent part of the interview revisiting some of the restaurants they both knew.

Ultimately, both Steve and Danny decided to go with Shelley. Shelley was impressed when she visited the McGarrett-Williams home. Both Grace and Charlie were there during the visit. It took her a while to understand how Charlie fit into the picture. It didn't take her long at all to see all the love in the family. The men were naturals at fathering, but she was really impressed at the relationship between Steve and Charlie. It gave her an insight why the busy couple wanted a baby. Shelley was well aware of Five-0's reputation, and she knew the team wouldn't exist without Steve or Danny.

It took a few months, but the contract was finally signed and the big day had arrived. Steve had been instructed to abstain from sex in order to provide a potent sample. He was so horny that it didn't take Danny long to coax a sample from Steve. They sat in the waiting room until Shelley emerged from the back hallway of exam rooms. She was surprised to see them; she had been in the back for quite a while.

Steve and Danny stood when they saw her. "They said that we should go, but it didn't seem right. You're doing such a big thing for us. The least we could do was wait until you could go home. Are you feeling okay?" Steve was a little embarrassed by their conversation. He wanted to ask, "Was it good for you too?", but even he knew that it would be inappropriate.

Shelley was charmed by the blush spreading over Steve's face.

"You'll have to excuse my partner's lack of social skills. He's really improved so much since we've been together, but it's clear my work is not done."

Shelley was charmed again when Danny tried to make excuses for Steve.

"Really, I'm fine. I'm going home now, and it will be a couple of weeks before we know if this worked. If not, we'll try again next month. I got pregnant right away with my kids, so let's keep our fingers crossed." Shelley was reassuring, and that seemed to put Steve a little at ease.

Danny wasn't fooled. He knew that Steve would be a nervous wreck until it was time for Shelley to pee on a stick. At least it was a Friday and Grace scheduled for the next week with her mom and Stan. Danny planned to keep Steve occupied with as much sex as he could muster.

Fortunately, they were kept busy the next week with a puzzling case. The crime apparently took place almost twenty years ago, but they had reason to believe the perpetrator was still around. By the time they found their man, it was time to bring Grace back for their week. She kept them occupied with another science project until it was the day to hear from Shelley.

Danny watched Steve pace his office for most of the day. Chin and Kono both knew about their decision to have a baby, although they weren't aware that the first attempt at pregnancy had been made. They just knew that Steve was wound tightly, and anything that would get them out of the office was a good thing.

It was almost quitting time when Steve's cell went off. Danny saw the look on Steve's face and knew instantly who was calling. Steve turned toward Danny's office and motioned for Danny to come in.

"Can you wait a second? Danny just came in. I want him to hear this too." Steve held out his arms and pulled Danny close. He rested his forehead against Danny's and held his breath.

"Steve, Danny, I have great news. According to my home pregnancy test, I'm pregnant. Congratulations! You're going to be great fathers." Shelley was so excited for the men that she was crying.

Steve started to tell her thank you, but the lump in his throat made it hard to talk. "Shelley, it's Danny. That's wonderful news. Excuse my partner again. He seems to be incapable of speech at the moment." Danny pulled a bottle of water of the fridge and gave it to Steve.

After drinking half of the water, Steve was finally able to speak. "Shelley, I don't know how to thank you. Have you told your family yet?"

"You and Danny were my first phone call. I won't keep you. I know that you want to celebrate. We'll talk later. Hang in there guys. We still have over eight months to go. I promise to take good care of this little one." Shelley hung up with a smile on her face. She couldn't remember the last time that she made someone so happy.

Chin and Kono came back into their offices to find Steve and Danny still hugging. Tears were running down Steve's face, and Danny was comforting him. Chin and Kono rushed into Steve's office, expecting bad news.

Steve turned to his friends, a radiant smile on his face. "We're going to be fathers", was all he could say. It was enough.


	2. Winter 2012

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Winter 2012**

It's Christmas morning in the McGarrett-Williams home, and like last year, the house is decked out with decorations everywhere. Danny turned the outside lights on when he came downstairs. He can hear Steve in the kitchen starting the coffee. It's late to be starting the day, but Grace is with her other family today. They exchanged gifts last night and went to church services before Steve and Danny dropped her off.

Technically, it was Steve and Danny's week with Grace, but Stan and Rachel missed the entire holiday season with Grace last year. Grace mostly spent a week with each parent before swapping back, but their joint custody was quite fluid these days. Charlie usually spent at least one night a month with the McGarrett-Williams when Grace was there for the weekend.

They really were one big happy family, except for one small matter. You don't keep big secrets from family, and right now Steve and Danny were keeping a whopper of a secret. Just a few days ago, Steve and Danny received confirmation that their surrogate, Shelley, was pregnant with Steve's baby. Steve was doing pretty well now, but Danny cannot forget that first night after hearing the news.

Chin and Kono walked in shortly after they Shelley called to say the EPT was positive, so there was no hiding the news. After Steve calmed down some, Danny suggested that they keep the information to just the four of them for now. Chin and Kono needed to know because Steve was going to be understandably distracted for at least a few days. But it might be prudent to wait until Shelley made it past the first trimester before they told Grace and the rest of the family.

Danny called Rachel and gave some vague excuse and asked if they could drop Grace off a couple of days early. Rachel readily agreed, and Danny dropped Steve off at home before picking up Grace from Emelina's. Danny didn't want to lie to Grace, so he simply told her that they were switching days again. Usually they let Grace know ahead of time, but occasionally there was short notice. Grace didn't think anything of it; Danny promised that she would spend some days with them next week.

Steve was swimming when Danny made it back to their home. Danny wasn't surprised to see him making his way to the shore. Steve picked his towel up from one of the wood chairs near the beach. Danny had changed clothes before filling the small cooler with ice and Longboards. A cold one was waiting on the arm of the chair for Steve.

Steve wrapped the towel around his waist and plopped in the chair before taking a long pull on his beer. He seemed calmer unless you noticed he was tapping his right foot. Danny would have teased Steve about his reaction to impending fatherhood except that he remembered how he felt when Rachel first gave him the news that she was pregnant with Grace.

Danny remembered his whoop of excitement and the typical male pride that one of his 'guys' did the job. The shakes didn't come until later that evening. He ended up on his parents' front porch in a heart-to-heart talk with his dad. Dad listened as Danny talked about his joy and his fears. There were a lot of fears. What if something happened to Rachel or the baby? What if he wasn't a good father? The list went on. Finally, Dad told him that his feelings were normal and most likely everything would be fine. The family would pray for Rachel and the baby, and whatever happened, they would be there for him.

Danny put his hand on Steve's right leg and waited for Steve to settle down. When Steve realized what he was doing, he stopped moving his foot and sat back. "Thanks for arranging for Grace to stay with Rachel and Stan. I think she would be worried if she saw me like this, and I agree that we should wait to tell anyone else. It's just that I feel like I'm going to explode, but in a good way. Danny, how did you deal with these feelings? I know you, and I'm sure you know what I'm going through now."

Danny took Steve's hand and squeezed it. "Really? I'm sure that I don't know what you're talking about. I was my usual unexcitable self. I thanked Rachel for being such a hospitable receptacle for my sperm and went on to work."

Steve snorted, which was a relief to Danny. As least it was normal reaction from Steve. "Yeah right, because you're normally so calm, cool, and collected."

"Sarcasm! That's a good sign. Let me guess. You're still stuck at the miracle of life stage. It's amazing to think that your DNA has merged with Shelley's, and even as we speak, the fertilized egg is multiplying like crazy. Damn, it's not my DNA, and I'm excited. In 36 weeks, give or take a week, a baby that's half you will be born."

"Danny, if you're trying to calm me down, it's not working. I can't believe it. I've wanted it for months and prayed for it to happen. Now that it's becoming a reality, it's like I can't breathe." Steve knew that he was hyperventilating and leaned downed to put his head between his knees.

"Hey Steve, take it easy. Breathe in and out." Danny rubbed up and down Steve's back and continued to murmur soothing words until Steve's breathing slowed. When he thought that Steve could stand without keeling over, he pulled Steve up.

Steve was barely aware when Danny helped him in the house and up the stairs. He remembered Danny stripping them both because a naked Danny always made an impact. There were some steamy moments in the shower before they toweled off and hit the bed.

It started off a little rough, and Danny took whatever Steve needed to give. Then Steve pulled back, and his kisses became almost unbearably tender. His hands were everywhere, and Danny was overwhelmed with pleasurable sensations. When they were joined, Steve slowed even more.

"I want to make this last forever. What we have, the love we share, it will last forever. When we have this child, he or she will be a legacy to our life together. If it's a boy, I want to name him John, after my father. He'll be John Daniel McGarrett-Williams. If it's a girl, I'd like to name her after my mother and your mother."

Steve kept the pace slow until Danny was almost blind with pleasure. Finally, Steve couldn't wait any longer and brought them both to orgasm. Later as Danny held Steve, he was pleased to feel that all the tension was gone. Danny thought that Steve might have gone to sleep, but Steve raised his head to look at Danny.

"Will I ever feel normal again?"

"Babe, you were never normal. But to answer your question, no, what you're feeling will never go away. The panic will fade, only to come back stronger as shit happens. You'll get used to it, but it's like an E-ticket ride at Disneyland. You alternately want to laugh and throw up. We'll get through this together. Mom and Dad will be there for us. Believe it or not, I think Rachel and Stan will be there for us."

Danny later fixed Steve his comfort food, soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. They sat by the beach drinking beer and discussing fatherhood. Steve was exhausted when he fell into bed shortly before midnight. Danny held him all night and made crazy love to him in the morning. Since then, Steve limited his panic attacks to every other hour (or so it seemed).

While Danny was wool-gathering, the coffeemaker finished brewing. Steve brought two steaming mugs out to the living room. He caught Danny examining one of the new ornaments on the tree. It was a brass and crystal stork ornament. Steve bought it at one of the kiosks at the market place and hung it near the back where Grace wasn't likely to see it.

Their McGarrett-Williams ornament hung front and center, commemorating their first year together as partners. Next year there would be a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. It was almost too much happiness for one tree.

"Merry Christmas, Danny." Steve handed Danny one of the Christmas coffee mugs and gave Danny a good morning kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Steve." Danny would not be outdone. He put his coffee down before taking Steve's mug to set next to his. He pulled Steve in for a much longer kiss.

"If you keep that up, a lot of people are going to be disappointed when they show up for dinner."

Hosting holiday meals had become a tradition with them. They hosted a large dinner at Thanksgiving that included their Five-O family, the Edwards, and some SEALs who would have otherwise spent the day alone. A smaller group was expected today, but Danny and Steve would need to start the meal soon. They made the pies and bread yesterday, but the ham needed to go in the oven soon.

The morning passed quickly, and Steve soon made the drive to the base hospital. Danny suggested that it would be nice to include whoever was left on the ambulatory ward. Although Steve had resigned his commission as promised, he still had contacts on the base. The two men and woman who received the invitation were delighted to have a day out of the hospital. Kamekona brought a platter of shrimp to add to the meal. Joe White, who settled on the big island after Wo Fat's demise, made the trip over to join them for the day.

Steve and Danny agreed to keep Charlie overnight for New Year's Eve since Grace would be with them too. Neither wanted to go out partying, preferring to celebrate their first anniversary in the privacy of their bedroom. Next year, they would have a new member joining their celebration. For now, Steve enjoyed practicing his burgeoning fathering skills on Charlie.

They agreed to let Grace stay up until midnight, although she fell asleep shortly after 10 o'clock. Danny covered her up so that she wouldn't get too cool sitting in the chaise lounge on the lanai. Steve sat close to the baby monitor in case Charlie woke up, but the baby slept through all the fireworks. After the first weekend, Danny insisted that Charlie should spend the night in the guest room. Danny planned on having fireworks in their bedroom after Grace was safely tucked in for the night.

The first week of January had always been slow for the team, so Steve and Danny were able to sneak away for a long weekend at the cabin. It was nice to discover that even though they were officially past the newlywed stage, they still couldn't keep their hands off each other. Both men realized that this kind of getaway would be a thing of the past when the baby came, at least until the baby was older. Danny remembered how difficult it was to leave Grace when she was an infant, and he expected that Steve would react mostly the same.

Danny initially expected to feel jealous that Steve got to be the sperm donor for their child, but it never happened. He supposed that was the ultimate test of their love. Danny was so happy for Steve that he never resented that Steve was the one who got to do this. He knew that the baby would never be Steve's baby; the baby would be theirs even though only Steve donated the DNA.

January flew by, and Mom and Dad Williams kept their promise to vacation with them in February. Grace was so proud to have them join her for lunch at school. Steve and Danny were able to break away from work long enough to show Mom and Dad some of the other islands. Shelley's pregnancy was going so well that they decided to share the news the night before the Williams' left for home. Mom wept with joy; she loved her grandchildren dearly and knew how important this baby would be to Steve and Danny.

By the middle of March, Steve and Danny knew that they needed to tell Grace that she was going to have another sibling. Grace loved being Charlie's big sister, so they were hoping that she would take the news well. Danny suggested that they schedule an appointment with the counselor who helped the families in the aftermath of Grace's kidnapping. Although Grace recovered well, they continued to see her every 6-8 weeks just to help tune up the family dynamics.

The counselor agreed with their assessment that Grace would weather this addition to the family better. Her adjustment problems with Charlie were largely tied to the feelings of abandonment Grace felt when Stan and Rachel left for their trip just before the holidays. When Rachel returned, she was unable to take care of Grace. It took months before Grace was able to move past what had happened. Her growing attachment to Charlie helped more than anything.

At least with this baby, neither Danny nor Steve would be sidelined dealing with a pregnancy. Although they would be stressed when the baby came home with them, there would be no labor or delivery to recover from.

Grace knew that something was going on when Danno and Daddy picked her up from Emelina's on Friday. On the ride home, Grace went over the possibilities. She was making all A's at school, and she hadn't received detention or any demerits. Daddy wasn't in the Navy anymore, so he wouldn't be going away for that. Grace knew that Danno and Daddy were really happy together, so she wasn't worried about anything bad happening with them. Suddenly, she knew the answer. It was the only thing left.

Steve pulled in the driveway and looked at Danny. He could tell that Danny was as nervous as he was. They barely made it to the front porch when Grace turned to confront them.

"You're going to have a baby, aren't you?"


	3. Spring 2013

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Spring 2013**

It's Easter morning, and the McGarrett-Williams family is dressed up and on their way to church services. It's been a rough couple of weeks for their family since Grace found out about the baby. Steve and Danny hoped that Grace would receive the news wells, but that wasn't the case.

"You're going to have a baby, aren't you?"

Before Steve and Danny could tell her, Grace guessed the news. She was not pleased at all. "I thought we were a happy family. I wasn't enough for Mommy, and I'm not enough for you now." Grace wouldn't even look at them.

Steve sighed heavily. This was not going the way that he hoped at all. "Grace, please come in. You've got it all wrong." Steve held the door open for Danny and Grace.

Grace rushed past Danny and ran up to her room. Steve and Danny could hear the door slam, and then Grace started to cry.

Danny was so upset that he wasn't sure what to do next. Steve was calm; he knew exactly what to say. "Let me talk to her Danno. It will be okay, I promise." Steve gave Danny a reassuring hug and climbed the stairs.

He paused at Grace's door and knocked on the door. When he received no answer, he opened the door and walked in. Grace was on the bed, crying as though her heart was breaking. Steve sat on the side of the bed and rubbed Grace's back.

"Grace, after all we've been through together, don't you think you should at least listen to me?" Steve waited until Grace's sobs slowed and she turned over to face him. Steve took that as a positive sign and picked her up to hug her.

"Grace, before I met you, I never knew how much I could love a child. From that first day that we met at the football game, you claimed my heart. When Danny came home and told me that you expected to live here all the time, I was so excited that I could hardly sleep. I miss you so much when you're not here. You made me want to be a dad, and now I want that all the time. And you have been such a great big sister to Charlie. "

Steve paused, giving Grace time to process what he was saying. She was leaning into his hug, and Steve could feel the tension slowly draining away.

"Grace, it's not that you're not enough for us. You're everything Danno and I could want in a daughter. It's just that we have so much love to give, too much for just you. And I noticed how different it was when Charlie visits. Like now, it's Danno and me are the dads, and you're our daughter. With another child, it makes us more of a family. We don't out-number the kids anymore. We'll be sort of balanced."

Steve was getting frustrated because he wasn't sure that Grace understood what he was trying to say. She wasn't saying anything, and Steve thought for a moment the she might have fallen asleep.

"You'll still love me even when the baby comes?"

"Grace, Danno and I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. That will never change. But it's not going to be like when Charlie was born. You'll stay here every other week, just like now. Like we told you before, we'd like for you to stay with us all the time. But with the baby here, we won't be so lonely without you."

"Where are you getting the baby?"

Danny was standing in the hallway, listening to Steve calm Grace's fears. This question was something he could handle. "A nice lady is helping us. She's having the baby for us."

"Will she live here and be the mommy?"

"No, she already has her own family. She's agreed to carry the baby, like your mommy did with Charlie. After the baby is born, we'll sign some papers and the baby will come home with us."

"Who's the daddy?"

Oh boy, Danny was hoping that question wouldn't come up. "Daddy is the biological father. Do you know what that means?" Danny really hoped that she didn't.

"I'm not sure." Grace was hoping that Danno didn't go into too much detail. She remembered the talk with her Mommy about how her body was changing. Grace really didn't want to talk about it with Danno or Daddy.

Steve laughed and hugged Grace. "It means we're both going to be the daddy, just like we are with you. Danno is your first daddy, and Stan and I are your other daddies. I'll be the first daddy with the new baby, and Danno will be the other daddy."

Grace could understand that, and it was enough for now. "Is it going to be a baby brother or sister?"

Danny came to sit next to Steve so that he could hug them. "We don't know yet. We hope to find out in the next few weeks."

"When will the baby come?"

"The baby is due in September, so we'll be able to visit Nana and Poppa this summer. Will you help us decorate the baby's room when we find out if it's a girl or boy?"

"Uh-huh. Can I help pick out clothes?"

That's when Danny knew it was going to be okay. Grace wanted to shop for the baby. Now on Easter, Grace is wearing a pretty new dress and her hair is curled. She was growing up so fast.

After church, the family met Rachel, Stan, and Charlie for brunch. Rachel and Stan were thrilled to hear that Steve and Danny were adding to their family. The baby would be another brother or sister to both Grace and Charlie, even though Charlie would share no DNA with the McGarrett-Williams baby.

Steve and Danny spoke with Shelley frequently, but they didn't meet again until the doctor's appointment in May. The doctor was doing an ultra-sound, and it was possible that they would find out whether the baby was a boy or girl. Although both Steve and Danny proclaimed that their only preference was that the baby would be healthy, Danny knew that Steve wanted a son. Steve had so many gaps in his relationship with his father; Danny believed that having a son would help Steve fill in some of the empty spaces.

Shelley's husband, Louie, was with her in the waiting room. The men shook hands and settled in until it was their turn. Steve felt really out of place, and the other expectant mothers eyed the unlikely group. Even Danny was relieved when they were called back. The assistant showed the three men to the exam room while she processed Shelley in.

Steve and Danny were a little uncomfortable when Shelley pulled her top up and her pants down below her growing belly. The tension mounted when the doctor rolled the ultrasound machine over to the examination table. The image that appeared was clearly alive. They could see the heart beating, and Danny thought the baby was sucking a thumb.

The doctor moved the wand to a different position and pointed to a fuzzy image on the display. "You wanted to know the baby's sex?"

When Steve and Danny nodded, the doctor smiled. "I hope you wanted a son, because that is clearly a baby boy."

Steve could see it then, a little baby penis. His hands were shaking, and he could feel Danny hugging him. It was such a surreal moment. Steve and Danny were going to have a son: John Daniel McGarrett. The rest of the visit was a blur to Steve. He remembered hugging Shelley and shaking hands with Louie again. He saw that Danny had a couple of images printed from the ultrasound. Then next thing Steve knew, Danny was pulling in the driveway.

"What are we doing here? We're due back at Five-0." Steve was finally surfacing from the fog that engulfed him when he saw their son.

"Babe, you're in no shape to go after the bad guys. I called Chin and Kono with the news and told them that I was taking you home. How are you doing?" Danny knew that it was a stupid question. Steve had the goofiest grin on his face, the one that Danny thought was so sexy.

"Danno, I'm so good. God, I can't believe it. I know that I keep saying that, but it's the truth. We're going to have a son. There's so much going through my head right now. We need to tell Grace. You didn't call Grace did you? I don't remember you calling Chin and Kono." Steve was embarrassed to realize that he had freaked out again.

"No, I didn't call Grace. I think we need to tell her in person. I think we should pick up our daughter from Emelina's and celebrate. I thought that we should change into something more casual first."

"That sounds like a good plan. Thanks for looking out for me. I would still be in that waiting room with all those women if it wasn't for you."

"You're welcome, Steven. I couldn't leave you there. A couple of women looked like they were in that stage when they want sex, a lot of sex. Louie is probably enjoying some of those benefits about now. Shelley was looking pretty pleased too."

"Whoa, too much information, Danny. On the other hand, there's no reason we can't have sex too." Steve had a mischievous grin on his face, and Danny knew he had only seconds to get out of the car before Steve started something not really appropriate for their driveway.

Danny raced for the front door; he barely made it through the door and disengaged the alarm before Steve had him out of his shirt. Clothes littered the stairs by the time that Steve and Danny made it to the bedroom. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I brought you home."

Steve looked up from where he had his mouth on Danny. "Should I stop?"

"You do and I will have to kill you." What the hell, Danny thought. Nothing settled Steve faster than a rousing round of sex. Besides, he was really good at it.

Steve and Danny were dressed in their casual uniform of t-shirt, shorts, and slippers when they arrived only a little early at Emelina's. Emelina knew that something was up when she saw how happy and relaxed the men were. She was one of the few people who knew about the surrogate.

"What's going on, guys, or don't I want to know?"

Steve and Danny thought that Grace should be the next to know the news. Steve put his arm around Emelina. "We got some exciting news, but we need to tell Grace first. I promise you'll hear tomorrow."

"That's good enough. Grace, your dads are here!"

Grace was excited to see Steve and Danny early. She grabbed her backpack and ran to the Camaro. When Steve and Danny joined her, she asked the obvious question. "Why are you early? Did you break a big case?"

"Can we pick up our favorite daughter a little early without a reason?" Danny tried being evasive until they got somewhere a little more private.

Grace was the daughter of two of the island's top cops; she knew something was up. "So nothing special is going on."

Danny turned in the seat to face Grace. "Give us a few minutes, will you Monkey? We have something we want to tell you; it's not bad news so you can relax."

Steve pulled into the parking lot of one of their favorite restaurants. It was on the beach, and there were picnic tables only a few feet away. Danny held out his hand to help Grace out of the back seat, and the three of them walked hand-in-hand to one of the tables.

Steve nodded to Danny, giving him the go-ahead to tell Grace the news. "Grace, we were at the doctor's office this afternoon. The woman who is having the baby was there; the doctor did an ultrasound. She was able to tell us that the baby is a boy. You're going to have another brother."

Steve waited for another outburst from Grace, but she was thoughtful. When she finally spoke, her words surprised both Steve and Danny. "I guess that's okay. I'll be so much older that the baby, so it's not like we're going to hang out at the mall anyway."

"What do you mean, hang out at the mall? You're too young to be hanging out at the mall." Danny stood up to rant and he was waving his hands quickly.

"Danny, that's what you took away from what Grace said? And Grace, quit teasing Danno like that." Steve stood to stop Danny in mid-rant.

Grace started to giggle; she couldn't help it. The look on Danny's face was priceless. It was a lot like Steve's aneurism face. "I'm sorry Danno. It's okay that the baby is a boy. He'll be able to hang out with Charlie. They can pick up girls together at the mall." Grace was giggling in earnest now.

"You are an evil child." Danny shook his finger at Grace. "And she was such a sweet child before she met you." Danny shook his fist at Steve, who was laughing with Grace.

Steve and Grace made it up to Danny at dinner. Grace shared her calamari with Danny, and Steve shared his chocolate cake, a sacrifice because the cake was one of his favorites. They walked on the beach for a while before going home.

They talked about some of the things that they wanted to do during Grace's summer vacation, which was coming up soon. Grace wanted to go to the cabin for at least one weekend. Steve wanted to show Danny and Grace more of the other islands.

Stan and Rachel were planning to vacation two weeks in England with Charlie and Grace at the end of July. Steve and Danny were planning their own trip; they were spending ten days in Italy. They knew the carefree days of going somewhere on a moment's notice would be over when John was born. They were more than okay with that, but Steve wanted to have this romantic trip with Danny before then.

Steve thought that nothing would top last year. He loved his life with Danny and Grace. Now they would be welcoming a new member to their family, a son. Steve couldn't wait to meet their son. He was sure that life would be chaotic and that leisure time would be a thing of the past. Somehow, Steve didn't care. You can never have enough family.


	4. Summer 2013

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Summer 2013**

Steve and Danny were just leaving work to start Labor Day weekend when they got the call from Shelley. She was not due for another week, but someone forgot to notify John Daniel McGarrett-Williams that his birthday wasn't scheduled until next week. Shelley's water broke about twenty minutes ago, and Louie was driving her to the hospital.

For once, Steve didn't object when Danny insisted on driving. Steve's hands were shaking, and all he could think of was that he would meet their son in a few hours. Steve was normally the calmer of the two men, but he had been a mess since Shelley called that day last December to tell them that she was pregnant.

At the time, 8 ½ months seemed like forever. Steve couldn't believe how fast the time passed. Christmas and New Years slid by; suddenly Grace was out of school and summer arrived. Their trip to New Jersey was hugely successful. Danny's parents were thrilled at the prospect of becoming grandparents again.

The trip to Italy fulfilled one of Danny's dreams. His mother was Italian, and he wanted to visit some of the places his grandmother talked about. They rode the gondolas in Venice, visited the Vatican in Rome, and wandered through the streets of Florence. Steve took 500 photos, almost a hundred more than Danny. They filled two photo albums with the prints.

Grace went to Mr. Page's cabin with them one of the two weekends that they spent there. Mr. Page's health was declining; he had heart trouble as a result of years of smoking. His sons weren't interested in keeping the cabin, so he offered it to Steve and Danny at discounted price. He liked knowing that their family would treasure their time there as much as his family had.

During their second trip to the cabin, Steve and Danny assessed what kind of repairs and upgrades they would need to make in the next year or two. The roof was sound, but the water heater needed to be replaced soon. Steve wanted to replace the refrigerator too. John's formula would need to be refrigerated, and the old unit was on its last legs. They could wait a few months to child-proof the cabin. Danny suggested a thorough cleaning by a professional service to eliminate any mold or mildew that might have accumulated over the years.

Their home was going through similar changes. Steve's old bedroom had been converted into a nursery. They painted it a sunny yellow and Grace helped them pick out baby furniture. A beautiful light oak crib, dresser, and rocking chair were nicely arranged in the room. Danny assembled some shelves high on one wall to hold baby supplies.

Chin, Kono, Malia, Max, and Kamekona showed up one Saturday afternoon for a surprise baby shower. They received baby bedding, a stack of onesies and bibs, boxes of diapers, and bassinet, and a car seat that would lock into the stroller that Rachel and Stan gave them. Joe White couldn't get there for the shower, but he sent a camo onesie with the words 'Baby SEAL' stenciled on the front.

Everything was ready for John. Danny would catch Steve sometimes late at night sitting in the rocker in the nursery. Danny remembered how he felt those last few weeks before Grace was born. He felt such an intense anticipation and sense of wonder. How could an entire baby grow out of an egg and one sperm? So many things had to go right. And soon a little person who was half Rachel and half him would be born.

Now Steve and Danny were on their way to the hospital. Louie attended the childbirth class with Shelley, but they agreed that Steve and Danny would come to the hospital to provide their support. Shelley was undecided whether she would let them stay during the birth, but they were prepared just in case.

Danny led Steve to the maternity floor waiting room. In all the time that Danny had known Steve, he couldn't remember seeing Steve in such a state. Steve was zoned out in his own little world. Danny remembered feeling that way too. Steve roused only when Louie came out to talk to them.

"Well guys, it's going to be soon. Apparently Shelley's had contractions since last night, but they weren't very strong. She's already dilated 5 centimeters. Do you know what that means?"

Steve was the first to speak. "She needs to get to 10 centimeters before she can push. She'll be going through transition soon. Is she getting an epidural?"

"Oh, so you're with me again. Where did you go babe?" Danny was a little surprised to hear that Steve was so lucid.

Louie laughed for the first time since he walked into the hospital. He liked the way that Steve and Danny balanced each other. "Shelley is not sure. She had an epidural with our last baby, and she didn't like the way it made her feel. Shelley would like to see you. Are you ready to help coach her through some contractions?"

Danny had to nudge Steve. "What? Oh sure, I read all the literature that Shelley sent, and Danny demonstrated the breathing techniques. He even had me coach him through some pretend contractions."

Louie would have paid top dollar to see that. "Well come on, Five-0, there's a baby waiting to be born." He led them down to Room 310 where they found Shelley propped up in bed. The contractions were getting stronger, and Shelley was breathing through them. She flashed a bright smile when she saw the panicked look on Steve's face.

"Relax Steve, I'm doing all the hard work today. It's almost time for another contraction; they're coming closer. Will you help me through the next one?" Shelley held her hand out for Steve.

On cue, Steve picked a spot near the bed and took Shelley's hand. She was wearing a fetal monitor, and Steve could see something was happening when the needle moved.

"Okay Steve, watch the monitor and tell me when the contraction peaks and when it lessens." Shelley couldn't say anything more because she was doing her breathing.

Steve leaned closer to Shelley and spoke calmly. "The contraction is still peaking. You're doing great, Shelley. Have I told you how brave I think you are to do this for us? It looks like it's peaking now." Steve picked up a washcloth from the bedside stand and mopped the sweat on Shelley's forehead. "This one is almost over. You can relax now. I got you covered." Steve could feel when it was over because Shelley released the death grip she had on his hand.

"Thanks Steve, that was a strong one. You're pretty good at this. I don't have to ask if you're excited. I'll be relieved when this little one is out. The doctor estimates that he's between 7 and 7 ½ pounds, and he looks a lot longer than my other babies. Of course, you've got a few inches on Louie. Both of our kids look just like him. I suspect that this baby will resemble you. Neither of our kids suffered like colic, so I'm hoping that you'll be just as lucky with this one. Oh, he comes another one."

Danny stepped over to the monitor to watch the progress of the contraction. "I'll call out progress, Steve. You stick with Shelley there and help with her breathing. Okay, this one seems longer. It's still climbing."

While Danny updated them on the contraction, Steve held Shelley's hand and encouraged her the way that he practiced with Danny. Louie held Shelley's other hand and watched the two men who would raise the baby Shelley carried. He thought his wife was a real hero to have this baby for a couple of strangers, although Five-0 made the news often enough that Louie recognized them at their first meeting.

Like many others, he was surprised when the news first came out the Steve McGarrett and his partner were romantically involved. Now that he saw them together, he could see the connection between them. It was similar to what he shared with Shelley. He could see that Steve and Danny wanted family the way that he wanted family with Shelley.

Within the hour, Shelley was deep in transition. The contractions were coming back-to-back. When the ob-gyn came in to check Shelley again, she announced, "I feel the need to push."

Steve was still holding Shelley's hand. He exchanged glances with Danny. "Should we leave now?"

There was a flurry of activity in the room. The warming table was brought in, and a tray containing everything the doctor would need during delivery was rolled over. Shelley looked around and gave a weary smile. "What the hell, two more people won't make a difference. You're the fathers, and you stayed in here to help me through the contractions. You should be here for the birth."

Danny was present during Grace's birth, so he knew that he would be okay. He was worried about Steve. They watched a video of childbirth at home at couple of weeks ago, and Steve almost passed out when the baby came out. Steve was calm now. He kissed Shelley on the cheek. "Thanks, I really want to be here."

Steve and Louie supported Shelley as she gave her first push. The baby's head came out. Steve could see a lot of dark hair. With the next push, one shoulder cleared the birth canal. The rest of the baby popped out with the third push. When the doctor suctioned the baby's airway, John let out a loud cry. "It's a beautiful baby boy. Congratulations, Steve and Danny, you have a son.

Steve and Danny watched as the doctor placed the baby on Shelley's belly. Both were crying now. Steve leaned over to stroke the baby's back. "Hey there, little man. We're your daddies, and we love you a lot."

The doctor clamped the cord and offered the scissors to Steve. "Would you like to cut the cord?" When Steve took the scissors, he wasn't surprised to see that his hand was shaking. He cut the cord at the spot that the doctor indicated.

The baby was taken over to the warming table, and the dads followed. The pediatric resident weighed the baby and measured his length. "His weight is good at 7 pounds, 6 ounces. His height is 22 inches. He's a long one."

Danny took out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures of John, then one of Steve. Steve looked like he just received the best Christmas gift ever. Louie came over to join them. "It's going to take a few minutes for them to finish up with Shelley. They're going to let Shelley hold the baby for a little bit. She needs to say goodbye. The baby will go to the nursery to get cleaned up then. When the baby is ready to go back to a room, someone will get you from the waiting room. You and Danny will be able to take care of the baby in the room until the pediatrician decides that he can go home."

Steve looked stricken. "Louie, I didn't think about this part. God, this must be so difficult for you and Shelley."

Louie held up his hand to stop Steve. "No, don't. This is a happy time for you both. Shelley knew what was coming. We both did. We know how lucky this baby is to have you as fathers. He'll be in great hands. You have our contact number in case you need any additional medical information. Otherwise, a picture once a year on his birthday is what we agreed to. The best of luck to you both."

Louie shook hands with Steve and Danny and watched them leave. Then he went over to comfort his wife during what was sure to be a difficult farewell.

In the waiting room, Steve and Danny were busy on their phones. The first call was to Grace; she was on the big island with her parents and Charlie. She squealed at the baby pictures. Rachel and Stan promised to bring her over on Sunday when they returned to Oahu.

Danny sent the photo to his parents, Chin, Kono, Max, Joe White, and Kamekona. Then Danny phoned his parents and Chin while Steve called the others. When they both ended their last call, they looked at each other with big grins.

"Danny, we have a son. We don't need to share this baby with anyone else. We're his parents, and he stays with us all of the time." He kissed Danny hard, and then hugged him tightly. "Thank you for letting me do this. It's so much more than I ever expected."

"You're quite welcome. I wasn't sure how I felt about another baby, but you were right to want this baby. It's been a little weird because of the surrogate thing, but somehow it worked for us. Everything is ready at home, isn't it?" Danny knew that it was ready because Steve's OCD kicked in during baby preparation time. Steve made several lists and checked them all twice.

Within twenty minutes, one of the staff came to take them to their son. He was in a room at the end of the hall so they could have a little more privacy. A nurse was holding John. He was swaddled in a blanket and wore a cap to keep in body heat. "John, I think there are a couple of people here who are waiting to meet you. Commander, did you want to hold him first?"

Steve hurried over to take their son; he was grateful for all the months of practice with Charlie. Steve tucked John in the crook of his arm and stroked his cheek with his free hand. Steve walked over to Danny. "John, this is Danno. Both of us are your daddies. Danno has a lot of experience being a daddy, but I'm kind of new at it, if you don't count practicing with Charlie. It's going to take you a while to figure out who everyone is and how they're related to you. All you need to know for now is that we're all family and we love you very much."

Steve kissed John on the forehead and passed him to Danny. "Hey John, I'm so glad you're here. I've wanted to be a daddy again for a while, but it took your Neanderthal daddy to convince me to do it. I love you both so much. You're going to have a great life with us as long as you stay away from the hand grenades and rocket launchers."

Steve stood behind Danny and put his arms around him so that he was hugging both his lover and his son. That was how Chin, Malia, and Kono found them. "Hey boss and other boss, looking good. Oh he's adorable. Makes you want to have one of your very own, doesn't it Chin?" Kono was excited to see the newest little McGarrett-Williams. Teasing Chin and Malia about having a baby was just a bonus.

Chin carried a large plastic bag in one hand and an 'It's a Boy!' balloon in the other. "Congratulations, guys. Danny said that you have been here since you left Five-0, so we brought you some dinner. I hope Chinese take-out is okay."

Steve's stomach growled on cue. In the excitement of the labor and delivery, neither had given a thought to food. Kono found them some water in return for the pleasure of holding the baby while they ate. She cooed at John and was already telling stories on Steve and Danny that John really shouldn't hear until he was old enough to vote. Danny was relieved when Kono passed the baby to Malia. From the look in her eyes, Chin knew that Malia would want to get pregnant soon. In truth, he wanted that also. He wanted children with his beautiful wife.

After their visitors left, a nurse came in with a bottle of formula. She stayed long enough to make sure that Steve and Danny were comfortable feeding John. They took turns with the bottle and burping. After three ounces, John fell asleep. Danny went downstairs to the Camaro and brought up their bag. They showered in the adjoining bathroom and changed into sweat pants and t-shirts. The bed was small, but they found a comfortable position spooned against each other. John was tucked away in his little crib; he was the only one to sleep well that first night. Steve and Danny dozed off only to wake up every time John made a noise.

They would have a couple of week's paternity leave before they needed to go back to work. Steve wasn't sure how he could leave John every morning to go to work. That was another adjustment Steve would need to make. He was a father now. There would be a lot of adjustments.


	5. Summer 2013 Paused

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Still Summer 2013**

When Steve rose at 6 a.m. to feed John, Danny went in search of some coffee and maybe a bagel. He figured that maybe they got two or three hours of sleep last night. Steve changed his first dirty diaper in the wee hours of the morning. Danny took a picture of Steve's face when he pulled the front of the diaper down. Then John decided it was a good time to baptize one of his fathers. Fortunately, Steve had an extra clean t-shirt.

Danny reflected on the last time he witnessed a birth. It was just the first of last year, and Danny could admit to himself that it nearly tore him apart to see the new life and know he wouldn't be taking the baby home. This was so much better. He and Steve would raise this baby together.

Steve was reclining in the only comfortable chair in the room when Danny returned. The empty bottle sat on the bedside table, and John was resting on Steve's chest. Steve had changed into a button-down shirt after John peed on his t-shirt, and the shirt was open almost to Steve's waist. John was wearing only his diaper, so father and son were laying skin-to-skin. The blanket that was used to swaddle John was now covering him lightly. Both father and son were fast asleep. Danny pulled out his camera and snapped a picture. They were so adorable.

The nurse came in a few minutes later. Steve woke up and passed John to Danny. As much as he wanted to hang on to John, he knew that he needed to share. Danny had been so generous sharing Grace with Steve. He could do no less with John. Steve would never, ever play the 'he's my son' card. Besides, it would take both of them to raise John right. Danny wrapped John in the blanket while Steve buttoned his shirt.

"Commander, Detective, the doctor will be in shortly after 7 a.m. Ordinarily, we would keep the mother and baby another day because the delivery was so late yesterday. However, because of the special circumstances, both will probably go home after lunch. We want to make sure that John is able to maintain his body temperature and eat properly. Judging from the empty bottle, I'd say that he's feeding well. His temperature is normal also. Do you have a car seat for the baby?"

"Yes we do. It's in our Camaro down in the parking lot. I'll bring it up in a little while. We also have baby clothes so John doesn't have to go home in hospital clothes."

"Someone will also be in to see if you want photos. You can dress John however you like for them. The photographer does a really good job." After checking John's vital signs, the nurse left.

When the door opened a few minutes later, Steve and Danny were surprised to see Joe White. He was carrying a plastic bag with three carryout containers. "Congratulations, Steve. You too, Danny. I brought us breakfast from Rainbow's. I thought you could use a good meal before the insanity begins."

Steve almost drooled when he opened one of the containers and saw loco moco. "Wow, this smells great. I was afraid we were stuck with hospital food. How did you get up here so early? The hospital is pretty strict about visiting hours."

"I told them that I was a delivery boy and I would lose my job if they didn't let me in." Joe walked over to take a closer look at the sleeping baby. "Steve, he's the spitting image of you. Your dad would be so proud."

"Thanks Joe for everything. You're an honorary uncle. How does Uncle Joe sound?"

"Steve, that sounds pretty sweet. I can tell him about the grandfather whose name he carries, and I might even sneak a story or two in about his father." Joe had a gleam in his eyes when he thought about it.

"That sounds great, but please don't give him any ideas that might give me a heart attack. Isn't it enough that he has McGarrett blood running in his veins. I expect that he'll be base jumping off the rails of his crib by six months." Danny shuddered to think about it. The big McGarrett-Williams pulled so many stunts that Danny no longer needed an annual stress test. Danny really didn't want to think about what the little McGarrett-Williams would put them through.

Joe was meeting with Wade Gutches later to go fishing, but he couldn't resist a detour by the hospital first. He missed Steve and his family sorely when he was forced to go into hiding last year. Joe was comfortable enough on the big island, but he wanted to be closer to Steve, especially now that there was a new little McGarrett-Williams around. Joe was childless, but he had several nephews and nieces. He was willing to help out with the baby, and he missed having a family.

The doctor came in just as Joe was leaving. She examined John and ordered some routine tests. Pending the results, John could go home early afternoon. One of her associates would come by as soon as the lab sent the reports up to the floor.

When the doctor left, Steve ran down to the car to bring up the baby's bag and car seat. Danny picked out a pin-striped cotton jumper with short sleeves. It had a NY Yankees emblem on it and came with a little baseball cap. "Is this okay? I mean, I know that you're not a big Yankees."

Steve put an arm around Danny. "One of John's dads is a Yankees fan, so I think it would make a great picture. How long have you had that?"

Danny laid the jumper on the bed and smoothed it out. "I bought it before Grace was born. Rachel wouldn't use it because she said it was for a boy. I left it at Mom and Dad's house when I moved here. She brought it out when we were there this year. She told me how wonderful it was that I would have a son to wear it now. I wasn't sure if you would let John wear Yankees gear."

Steve sighed; he knew this would come up sooner or later. It's better that they address it now. Steve turned Danny to face him. "Danny, we're only going to have this conversation once, so I want you to pay close attention. John is our son. He carries my DNA because you were generous enough to let me be the sperm donor. So he might resemble me, and God help us, he will probably have some of my ODC and ADHD tendencies. But I wanted Shelley to be the egg donor because she resembled you so much that she could be your sister. Her hair and eyes are just like yours, and she's outspoken just like someone I know. She even talks with her hands just like you. This baby is ours; we're equal opportunity parents. And I can't do this without you."

Danny stepped closer and laid his head on Steve's chest; he could hear Steve's heart beating. "Don't think you can even try."

"I wouldn't dream of it Danny. We're as close to married as we can be here in Hawaii. We share everything, including our son. I know that you have a list of things that you always hoped to do if you ever had a son. I don't have a list, Danny, because I never dreamed that I would have a son or daughter. You need to share your list with John and me. And maybe we can add to the list as we go along. Deal?"

Danny looked up at Steve and the fist around his heart loosened. "Deal!" He kissed Steve to seal the deal. It was full of love and joy. "I have a son! Oh my God, I have a son!" Only then did Danny realize that a part of him was holding back because a voice in his head kept saying that John would be Steve's son.

Steve's heart stuttered a beat when he saw the joy on Danny's face. "Yes Danno, you have a son. We have a son. Grace is such a great kid even after what she's been through. John is going to be such a totally awesome kid. He'll probably be a little warped, considering the circumstances. And we are going to be great parents. Now how about we dress our son in this wonderful homage to the NY Yankees and take some pictures. Mom and Dad will love them!"

Before Danny could dress John, one of the aides came in for John's bath. Ordinarily, they would join other parents in the nursery for the demonstration. Because they used a surrogate, the hospital made concessions to routine for the privacy of all concerned. Their hospital accommodated most of the surrogate cases on the island, and the staff treated both the birth mother and the couple involved with the utmost sensitivity.

Now the aide coached Steve and Danny through the baby bath. She demonstrated care of the umbilical cord, and gave them other useful tips and tricks. She also brought in the usual gifts from the hospital containing several useful baby products.

The photographer came in just as Danny snapped up John's jumper. It was a little big, but John would grow into it soon. Steve took a picture of Danny and John with his little baseball cap leaning rakishly to one side. The happiness on Danny's face made him look so young and hopeful. Steve knew this is what Danny felt when Grace was born. He was so happy that he got to share it with Danny and John this time.

Danny took the next feeding while Steve took a walk. Steve was feeling a little claustrophobic after being in one room so long, but it was so difficult to leave John even for a little while. Steve knew that he would need to keep his exercise routine up or he would become irritable. They would be under so much stress until they adjusted to having a baby in the house. Steve knew that he needed to pay attention to Danny and Grace too.

Around 12:30, a young doctor came in to tell them that John was clear to leave the hospital. The men exchanged smiles and shook hands with the doctor. It took almost an hour to sign all the paperwork and clear the floor. Steve took their bags down and brought the Camaro to the patient entrance. A few minutes later, Danny brought their son out. It took a couple of minutes to snap the car seat into the base. John was sleeping and never even opened his eyes.

For once, Danny didn't have one complaint about Steve's driving. He maintained the speed limit and even stopped at a couple of yellow lights. Steve flashed a grin at Danny. "We have precious cargo in the back seat, Danny." Steve glanced back at the car seat in the back. He couldn't see John because the seat faced the rear.

"Danny, will you promise me something?"

The question startled Danny. "That depends on what you want me to promise to."

"It's nothing extreme. It's just that we both know how obsessive I can get." Steve ignored Danny's snort. "Don't let me focus on John so much that I neglect you or Grace. Without you, I wouldn't have a family. John is such a miracle, but so are you and Grace. If I seem like I've forgotten that, you can punch me in the face again."

"Wow, how can I turn down an offer like that? I know what you mean, though. I won't let you neglect us. Besides, I know how to get your attention." Danny leered at Steve sufficiently, and Steve knew exactly what Danny was thinking.

"Yeah, I guess you do. We're a pretty good team, aren't we?"

"We are that, Steven. And now we're home. Why don't you come here and get the car seat? I think you need to carry our son into his new home."

Danny opened the front door and disabled the alarm. It was amazing to think that yesterday morning they left for work never guessing the miracle that would happen later that day. Steve fumbled with the car seat and finally pulled it from the back seat. He carried the seat to the front door but put it down on the porch. Then he crouched down to free John from the seat.

"When I carry you in for the first time, I want you in my arms. Come on son, this is your home. It's where your Grandma and Grandpa McGarrett raised me, and it's where Danno and I will raise you." Steve tucked John in the crook of his arm and stood. In three strides, they were inside.

John blinked at the change in light. It was dim in comparison to the strong afternoon sun. Danny walked over to hug Steve and John. He remembered when he brought Rachel and Grace home from the hospital; it was the happiest day of his life. When Rachel divorced him and moved to Hawaii with Grace, Danny thought that nothing good would ever happen to him again.

He was wrong. Danny looked at his partner, who was wearing his goofy smile. He looked at John, who was settling in for another nap. "John Daniel McGarrett-Williams, welcome home."


	6. Fall 2013

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Fall 2013**

Steve loved hitting the water first thing in the morning. It always helped him clear away the cobwebs, and he certainly needed it these days. His life was so full, and his morning routine offered his only opportunity for a little quiet and privacy.

It has been almost a year since Steve stood in the living room and told Danny that he wanted a baby. It's been a little over three weeks since Steve and Danny brought John Daniel McGarrett-Williams home from the hospital. To Steve, it seemed that John has been with them forever.

Only the baby isn't John anymore. Well, he is, but no one calls him that since Grace called him Jack-Jack. It happened when Stan and Rachel brought her over that first Sunday after Steve and Danny brought John home from the hospital. He was sleeping peacefully when Grace peered into the bassinet. Unfortunately, Steve wasn't quick enough with the diaper change and bottle when John woke up.

First John peed on Steve's shirt, something that has become a daily occurrence. No matter how fast Steve is, Jack is faster. And he never peed on Danny, no matter how long Danny left him uncovered. Danny thought it was absolutely hysterical, but Steve never seemed to get upset about it.

In Steve's mind, it was a clear sign that Jack could distinguish between his fathers, and that Jack realized that only Steve would be a worthy opponent. Steve considered it a personal challenge to best his newborn son; each diaper change became a carefully planned mini-op. It didn't do any good; Jack always got him at least once a day.

Anyway, as Grace watched her daddy rushed around to change his shirt and fix a bottle, Jack screwed up his little face and let out a scream. There were no tears, but John was definitely displeased. Grace laughed and said, "He's Jack-Jack."

Danny came in from walking Stan, Rachel, and Charlie to the car. "What? What do you mean?"

Grace picked up her screaming brother. "See, he's like Jack-Jack from 'The Incredibles', only he doesn't breathe fire. Daddy got to give Charlie a nickname. I want to give one to John. That's okay, isn't it?"

Danny looked to Steve for approval; after all, John was named for Steve's father. Steve beamed at Grace. "You're right, Grace. I think it's a great idea. Dad told me that he was called Jack until he went into the police academy. What do you think, Jack-Jack?"

To Grace's delight, the baby stopped screaming and seemed to considered her suggestion. "See, he stopped crying. He likes it."

Steve took his son, now Jack, and fed him with a smile on his face. Although it took a while for Grace to warm up to Charlie, she accepted Jack enough to want to be the one who gave him a nickname.

That first weekend was a blur of feedings, diaper changes, and laundry. Jack stayed in his parents' bedroom in the bassinet. Steve got up for the 2 a.m. feeding, but Danny woke up also. They shared the feeding, just as they did the first night with Charlie.

"You know Steve, we should alternate nights when we go back to work so one of us gets to sleep through the night." Danny had been through the drill before, and he knew they needed to get as much sleep as possible.

"Danno, I can do the middle of the night feedings. I wanted to keep John in here for the first few nights, but after that, I can feed him in his room. You don't need to get up."

"And why should you be the only one to get up? Because John is your son?" Danny was getting severely pissed off.

"Danny, calm down. John is our son. I offered to get up because I'm used to getting less sleep from my years in the Navy. I'm not trying to cut you out of anything. If it seems that I have, please know that it wasn't intentional. This whole experience has really kept me off-balance. I'm not sure what I expected, but it's so much more of everything. I have to keep touching John to make sure that he is real. And the love I feel is so overwhelming. It's not that I love him more than you and Grace. I just didn't expect to feel this kind of bond. Danny, I don't know how you kept your sanity when Rachel took Grace away."

Danny could see that Steve was sincere in his explanation, and that Steve had what Danny thought of as "new dad-itis". Danny remembered it well and decided to cut Steve some slack. "Steve, no one who knew me then would say that I was sane. And I accept your explanation. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. Until we have to go back to work or John pulls an all-nighter, I would like to get up with you. I've been through this before, and I had given up hope that I would have the pleasure again."

"He's pretty amazing, isn't he?" Steve's eyes turned soft with incredible tenderness.

"Yes, he is. You made a world-class baby. He and Grace are in a class by themselves."

"Yes, they are. I can't wait for him to meet Grace. She has so much to teach him. She's doing a great job with Charlie."

Danny had to laugh now. "She is, isn't she? Did you hear that Charlie flushed Stan's phone down the toilet? Stan put it down in the bathroom to clean Charlie up for dinner. Stan also had to pee and wasn't watching closely enough when he flushed. Little Charlie picked up the phone and dropped it in the toilet. Stan caught a glimpse of it just before it disappeared. It got caught in the U-joint and flooded the bathroom before Stan could close the valve." Danny was laughing so hard that he had to put John down on his lap.

Steve had to laugh at the little movie going on in his head. "If Charlie did that, can you imagine what this one is going to pull? I should warn you that if he pulls some of the same stunts that I did, we're in for a scary ride."

"Tell me something I don't know. I can only imagine what we're up against. This is probably as good as it's going to get. We will need to take special care with our guns and all of your other weapons of mass destruction."

"I have a weapons locker on order. It should arrive sometime next week. It will fit in our closet."

True to his word, Danny shared the middle of the night feedings until their leave ended. Fortunately, Jack was content to finish his bottle and go back to sleep. He showed no signs of colic, and he was a very good-natured little boy.

The weeks since then passed all too quickly. Steve and Danny took two weeks of paternity leave to settle in with Jack. Rachel didn't need Leah full-time, so Steve and Danny hired her to care for Jack. On the days when Rachel needed her, Jack could go with her to the Edwards' home or Emelina would help out. In a pinch, even Rachel offered to take care of Jack.

So far, the childcare arrangements worked out well. Steve and Danny made it through their first week back at work. They caught a case on Tuesday, but with the help of HPD, they were able to close it on Thursday. The weekend couldn't come quickly enough. Steve and Danny missed Jack when they went to work. Danny coped well enough, but Steve was still adjusting to the idea that he had to leave a part of himself every morning to go to work.

As Steve made his way to shore, he saw Danny sitting on the lanai with Jack. There were two cups of coffee on the table sitting next to Jack's bottle. It was empty, and Danny was trying to coax a burp out of Jack. It didn't take much because Jack burped like a champ.

Danny usually took the first feeding of the day so Steve could get his morning workout routine in. Steve coped with the new stress of fatherhood so much better when he exercised, and Danny relished this time with Jack. Never a loss for words, Danny alternately told stories about his childhood and about some of the craziness he witnessed from Steve. Jack responded by waving his arms and legs frantically.

Grace was sleeping in this morning. She seldom came in to cuddle in the mornings, and she no longer sat on Steve or Danny's lap. Grace was well into puberty; she had her first period while on vacation with Stan and Rachel. Danny and Steve were just as happy that it didn't happen on their watch. She didn't suffer much from cramps, but she gave her parents fits with PMS.

Danny was having a little trouble with the idea that Grace was in a new phase of her life, but Steve was the one who got stuck buying supplies for Grace last night. He had to run to Walgreens anyway to pick up a box of nighttime diapers for Jack. Danny called him while he was still in the car to tell him that Grace was out of 'her stuff' and forgot to tell them. Just their luck that she started her period. Steve felt like such a goof checking out with diapers and pack of 'Always Infinity Regular with Wings'.

The teenage girl who rang up his purchases looked in his cart and then at him. "Uh, they're not for me. I was in the Navy. I don't need wings." Steve couldn't believe what came out of his mouth. Damn it, it was the closest drug store to the house. Now he would have to drive the extra 5 miles to the next one. No way would he ever go back in there again. And he could not tell Danny either.

"You looked good out there. Of course, you always look good to me." Danny never tired of watching Steve move like this. Danny remembered how Steve's body felt as he moved under Danny earlier that morning. Danny expected that their sex life would suffer after John was born. They had to plan around Jack's schedule now, but Steve always made time for Danny.

If anything, having Jack in his life unlocked something in Steve that Danny didn't realize was hidden. Another facet of Steve McGarrett-Williams has been revealed. A load of darkness that Steve carried since his mother's death sloughed off, and the Steve that emerged was younger and more buoyant. He laughed freely, and loved with an intensity that amazed Danny.

The weeks passed quickly, and Jack was into 3-months sized clothes. His weight was in the 50 percentile, but his height was in the 90 percentile. Danny predicted that Jack was going to have Steve's freakishly long legs (Danny's words), but he promised to love him anyway. How could he not love him? Jack was always so happy to see him. He graced Danny with his first smile, although Steve protested that it was probably gas. Steve told anyone who would listen that Danny gave him gas; what protection did a helpless baby have?

The McGarrett-Williams still hosted Thanksgiving dinner at their home, but Steve and Danny only supplied the pies, bread, turkey, and stuffing. Steve surprised Danny the day before Thanksgiving. Steve claimed that he needed to pick up some last minute supplies. Danny was stunned when his parents strolled in with Steve later that afternoon.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here? I just talked to you last night." Danny was so happy to see them. Before his parents could say anything, Jack made his presence known.

Mom hurried over to see her new grandson. "Oh my goodness, look how big he is." Mom plucked Jack up from the bassinet and hugged him.

Dad could see that he would need to make the explanation. Mom was oblivious to everyone and everything that wasn't Jack. "Steve knew how much we wanted to see Jack and he arranged for our trip. We have to fly back next Tuesday. Grace has offered to let us stay in her room."

"Grace knew. How did you get her to keep the secret?" Danny loved Grace, but the girl couldn't keep a secret if you threatened to cut out her tongue.

"That was my doing too, Danno. I made her take the SEAL oath of secrecy." Steve was smirking; he was really proud of his idea.

"I didn't know there was a SEAL oath of secrecy." Now Danny was curious. After Steve resigned his commission, he eventually told Danny whatever he could about his SEAL training. This was the first that Danny heard about the secrecy oath.

"There isn't, but Grace doesn't know that."

Christmas preparations were particularly joyous. Mom and Dad helped decorate the Christmas tree while they were still in town. The outside decorations were already up, thanks to the Kelly cousins. Steve snapped a picture of Jack's face when they turned on the Christmas lights for the first time. The multi-colored lights were reflected in Jack's eyes.

Steve wished that he could suspend time or at least slow it down. He wanted to remember everything they did. Danny donned his Santa costume so Steve could get a picture of Jack with Santa. Jack wasn't sure about the strangely dressed stranger, but he smiled when he heard his daddy's voice come through the facial hair. Grace even broke her rule about sitting on daddy's lap and joined Jack for the picture. Both were dressed in red polo shirts and blue jeans.

Steve and Danny made their annual visit to the Christmas barn to visit the custom counter. The lady who worked there, Anita, remembered them from their first visit. She was thrilled to meet Jack, and the ornament she made was hung front and center on their Christmas tree.

Baby's First Christmas

John Daniel McGarrett-Williams

August 30, 2013


	7. Winter 2013

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Winter 2013**

It's the first day of winter, the weekend before Christmas. Danny still took most of the early morning feedings with Jack. Steve was asleep in their bed; Danny hoped to join him when Jack finished his bottle.

"You know, Jack, I wasn't sure if I was up for fatherhood again. Half of the time I feel like I'm raising your other dad and that is definitely a full-time job. But you, my son, are an exceptional baby. I'm afraid that you're going to be an overachiever too. You're almost four months old, and you've never had colic. You've been sleeping through the night since you were two months old. Danno loves you Jack."

"Jack loves you too."

Danny looked up, surprised to see his lover standing in the doorway. Steve's hair was sticking up on one side, and he had typical morning stubble. Grace was spending the weekend with Stan and Rachel, although it was her week with Steve and Danny. Stan's parents were in town to spend some of the Christmas season with their son and his family, and they were leaving tomorrow morning to go back to the mainland. Grace would be over tomorrow after Stan and Rachel dropped his parents off at the airport.

"I was just thinking about my first Christmas in Hawaii. I was still in my crappy little apartment with my little Charlie Brown tree. I think the Santa suit Kamekona brought me had more square footage than my apartment. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it's only been three years."

Steve came over to kiss Danny and Jack. He rubbed the back of his hand on Jack's cheek. Steve couldn't be close to Jack without touching him. "Well considering this little guy is barely four months old, it was more than a lifetime ago. Do you think he'll go back to sleep for a little while so his dads can have a little fun?"

"Babe, I've seen your equipment. There's nothing little about it. And look at him; his little eyes are drooping. That's the beauty of having a boy. He understands the important things, like how you and I need our Saturday morning sex. Do you want to burp him?"

Steve picked Jack up and positioned him against his shoulder. Steve was bare-chested, and Jack was rubbing his cheek against Steve's skin. "Good morning, baby boy. Did you sleep well? I see you were hungry this morning. Are you going to burp for Daddy?" Steve crooned to his son as he walked back and forth, rhythmically patting Jack's back. After a couple of minutes, Steve was rewarded with a loud burp.

Danny laughed when he heard the burp. "I swear that this baby is all you! Between his burps and his penchant for filling his diaper at the most inopportune times, he is definitely your son." Last Sunday during the sermon at church, Jack grunted and squirmed as it became obvious what he was doing. Of course, the smell gave it away too.

"Yeah, he has McGarrett DNA. In another couple of months, I'll teach him how to drink beer and lob hand grenades. I'll wait until he's a year old before his first tattoo. What do you think, Jack? Do you want the snake tat or should we go with 'Jack loves Danno'?"

Danny thought Steve was joking until he saw the evil gleam in his eye. "Steven McGarrett-Williams, this baby will not be getting any tattoos until he's old enough to sign for one."

Steve laughed in earnest now; he couldn't believe that Danny fell for his teasing. "So, you're good with the beer and grenade part?" Steve looked down at his now sleeping son. Jack had changed so much since they brought him home from the hospital. His eyes were hazel, the same color as Steve's. His hair was coming in a little lighter, but still a darker shade of brown. Steve found his old baby picture, and he was pleased to see the strong resemblance between his picture and Jack. Reluctantly, he put Jack in his crib and covered him with a light blanket.

Steve had his morning cuddle with their son, and now he was ready for something a little racier with Danny. He moved to Danny and kissed him, a long steamy kiss. "If I promise no tats, beer, or grenades, will you come back to bed with me?"

"You are an evil man, and I hate you." Danny wanted to be angry, but he wanted to be inside his lover even more.

"No, you love me." Steve led Danny down the hallway to their bedroom.

"Maybe, but I want to be on top." Danny was pulling off his t-shirt as he walked. His sweatpants came next. "Come on, babe. You know the drill. Strip for me." Danny motioned for Steve to lose his sweatpants.

"I don't know Danno. I was thinking about going out for a run. We can't be having wild sex in here with our innocent little boy just down the hall."

"That precious little boy is down for another couple of hours, and that's more than enough time for what I have in mind. Now come on, let's take your pants off." Danny started to help Steve out of his pants when Steve flipped him onto the bed. Danny was ready for him. In a neat counter move, Danny had Steve pinned to the mattress and pulled off his pants.

"Now I have you where I want you. What should I do first? Should I start with your face?" Danny kissed Steve, first on the lips, then down his jaw line. His hands were busy too, just where Steve wanted them.

"Tell me what you want, Steve." Danny's mouth was on Steve's left nipple. For some reason, it was more sensitive than the right nipple. Danny teased it with his tongue and teeth. He heard Steve hiss when he bit a little harder than before.

"I want you, Danno, now and always. I want your hands on me, and I want your mouth on me. I want you over me, and around me, and in me. I want you Danno. I want to be by your side. I want to watch our children grown up and get married and make us grandparents. I want to sit with you by the beach when we're old and gray. I love you Danno, now and always."

Danny stopped where he was and moved back up Steve's body. He kissed Steve softly and then rested his forehead on Steve's. "I want all that too." Danny resumed his assault on Steve's body, more gentle now. After 2 ½ years of living and loving together, Steve still had the ability to surprise Danny.

Now that Danny was sure that Steve would let him maintain control, he was content to take his time. Steve's hands were in Danny's hair, raking his fingertips against Danny's scalp. They made slow, easy love in the early morning hours.

Later, Steve brought Jack downstairs and turned on the Christmas tree lights. The old lights from Steve's childhood trees refused to work last year; miniature multi-color lights replaced them. Jack was fascinated by the little blinking lights and was content to watch the tree for hours.

Steve sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the tree with Jack on his lap. He was pointing out some of the ornaments and telling him their significance. Mom and Dad brought some of the ornaments Danny made when he was young when they came for Thanksgiving. Danny snapped a picture of father and son in front of the tree and emailed it to his parents with a Merry Christmas greeting.

"What do you want for breakfast, babe?" Danny brought Steve a cup of coffee and joined him on the floor. He was having a pretty great day. He couldn't help thinking that Steve was right when he told Danny that he was tired of coming home to an empty house during the times that Grace spent with her mother and Stan. As much as Danny enjoyed being alone with Steve, he loved being a full-time father again.

This time around, he was sharing the parenting duties with Steve. Against Danny's initial impulse, they continued to both get up for Jack's 2 a.m. feeding until Jack decided that he didn't need the extra food. Occasionally, Jack joined them in the shower, periodically peeing on Steve just to remind him who was boss. Jack loved the water, and Steve couldn't wait until Jack was old enough to learn how to swim.

"How about something simple this morning? We're going to be eating enough unhealthy stuff later this week. I'll make some oatmeal if you want to sit with Jack." Steve leaned over to give both Jack and Danny a kiss before going to the kitchen.

Barring a major emergency, Five-0 was standing down until after New Year's Day. Grace would be joining them tomorrow, and they would be busy with Christmas dinner preparations after that for a couple of days. Today was really their last free day for a while, and they decided to spend it relaxing with Jack.

Steve spread a large blanket on the floor and brought out a bag of six inch soldiers. With Jack looking on, Steve mounted a large scale attack on the little village set up under the tree. Apparently some nefarious warlord attacked the North Pole, and it was up to Steve and his team to save Santa and the elves.

By the time the battle was over, Jack was ready for his late morning bottle. Danny sat in the recliner to feed Jack while Steve recalled his troops and stowed them in the closet. After all, Steve was setting an example for their son.

"This is a pretty good deal, isn't it?" Danny looked up when Steve came in with two cups of hot chocolate.

"Yeah Danno, it's a pretty good deal. We have a wonderful family and the best friends. We have a job we love, and I hardly ever go in without back-up anymore."

"Don't think that I haven't noticed that. It makes a difference knowing that you have a child at home, waiting for you to come through the door."

"It does. You know, I didn't really think I was being reckless. I was a SEAL, and I knew what my team was capable of. And I was really alone back in those days. Now that I have Jack, I have an idea of what was going through Dad's head when he sent Mary and me to the mainland. But at the time, I thought that maybe somehow Dad blamed us for Mom's death and he couldn't stand to be with us. I felt very unloved, and maybe unlovable. It took me a while to figure it all out when I came back and started Five-0."

"Well, Jack and I are relieved that you finally wised up. What do you want to do with the rest of the day?"

"I thought that maybe while Jack took his afternoon nap, I could take his dad back to bed. Maybe we can go walking around the marketplace later and get an early dinner. Jack is still pretty cooperative about letting us eat out as long as we don't take too long."

"It sounds like a plan to me. Do you want to finish feeding Jack? I wanted to call Mom and Dad before it gets too late. They're having the extended Williams family over for the annual party, and I wanted to talk to some of my cousins."

Steve happily took Jack and settled on the couch with him. He found some of the old Christmas cartoons on one of the family channels and watched Rudolph save Christmas again. Jack was just drifting off for his nap when Danny came back in. Danny still missed his family in New Jersey, but his life was in Hawaii now with Steve, Jack, and Grace. He was steadfast in his insistence that Santa would never wear a loud Hawaiian shirt and board shorts, but he no longer fussed about some of the other local decorations.

Steve, Danny, and Jack went to Sunday morning church services and even stayed for hospitality afterwards. Jack was a favorite among the ladies' group; at almost four months old, he could be as charming as Steve when he wanted to be. The children's party was later in the afternoon, and Danny promised to be Santa for event. He was on the short side, but he played the role with such gusto that the kids didn't seem to notice.

Stan and Rachel stopped by the party to drop Grace off and was persuaded to stay when Charlie wanted to see his best buddy, Jack, and his Uncle Steve. After Danny changed out of his Santa suit, the couples sat and watch their children play. Grace was on the floor holding Jack while Charlie tried to roll a ball in their direction.

"You know that when Charlie is a little older, he is going to be confused about how he's related to Jack. Think about it. Grace is his sister, and she's Jack's sister too."

"Rachel, I don't think it will matter to him. We're family in one way or another. You and I are Grace's parents, but Steve and Stan are too. You and Stan have Charlie, and Steve and I have Jack. But Charlie spends time at our house regularly, and Jack is at your house at least once a week. The boys are close enough in age to enjoy each other's company. It's a little unconventional, but it works for us. And it's a lot better than the way we used to be." Danny hated the bitterness between them after the divorce. He was relieved that they finally had the sense to let go of the past and do what was best for Grace. He didn't think he could ever be best friends with Stan, but they both loved Grace. For that, Danny could be at least friendly.

Later that night, Steve and Danny sat in front of the tree and had some of the excellent bourbon Dad brought from New Jersey last month. They were tired from the busy day but content to know that their children were tucked in their beds upstairs. Mostly, they were happy to have some extended time off work to be with their family. No matter what was wrapped under the tree, that would be their favorite gift.


	8. Winter 2013 Part II

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Winter 2013 (Paused)**

**It's just after midnight on New Year's, and Steve and Danny are celebrating their 2****nd**** anniversary. Grace is with Stan and Rachel for the week. Jack is sleeping upstairs. He's their miracle, their son. If Grace was the glue that kept them together in the beginning, Jack was the cement that would forever bind Steve and Danny. **

**When a bust went badly and Danny ranted at Steve during the long drive home, the sight of a happy Jack smiling and babbling always stopped Danny in mid-rant. When the team was too late to save the victim, a few minutes of rocking a sleeping Jack soothed the rawness Steve always felt when he had to face the grieving family.**

**Steve had grown more careful on the job. He and Danny had too much to lose. Steve thinks that his life is as close to perfect as life can be, although he knows that everything will not always go this smoothly. There have been a few blips along the way. Jack had the sniffles a few weeks ago, and Steve suffered through the minor illness with him. **

**Steve and Danny watched the fireworks from the beach for a few minutes before going into the living room. Danny put on some soft music and held out his hand to Steve. "Dance with me?" Danny loved to slow dance, and he seldom had the opportunity to do so with Steve.**

**During their first effort at slow dancing together, there was a lot of fumbling around to figure whose hands went where. Finally, Danny pulled Steve close for a hug. When Steve put his arms around Danny, Danny moved to the music. "I think this works for us babe. No one needs to lead. We just need to be close. I've got your back, and I know that you'll always have mine."**

**Now they swayed together to the seductive music. Every so often, Danny would grind his hips against Steve as if to remind him what he hoped they would be doing soon. When Danny pulled away slightly and looked up at Steve, their lips came together. Danny could taste the brandy that they used to toast the New Year. His hands snaked under Steve's shirt, roaming over the smooth muscular back.**

**Steve's hands were roaming too, only his were tucked below Danny's waist. In minutes, the dance transformed into vertical foreplay. Steve knew that Danny's knee was sore from crawling on the floor with Jack. "Why don't we take this upstairs where we can get rid of some of these clothes and get off our feet? I want to feel every inch of you against me."**

**They turned off the Christmas tree lights and set the alarm before climbing the stairs. There was a slight detour to check on Jack in the nursery. He was sleeping peacefully. Steve pulled Danny to their bedroom and closed the door, just in case they got a little loud. **

**Steve turned the music on low and stripped his clothes off, watching while Danny did the same. Steve pulled Danny close. "One more dance for luck?" Dancing with Danny was always a treat for the senses. Dancing nude with Danny was exquisite. Danny's chest hair tickled Steve; their erections bumped. **

**When the music ended, Steve backed Danny to the bed. "I think that concludes the dance portion of this evening's entertainment." He edged Danny down on the bed and slid down next to him. Their limbs tangled, and they were locked in a steamy kiss.**

"**Happy Anniversary Steven." Danny wanted to be on top tonight, but Steve had already taken the lead. That was okay; Danny could wait until the next time. Besides, Steve was giving him the deluxe seduction tonight.**

**Steve dropped kisses on Danny's forehead, his eyes, his jaw. Then his mouth moved down Danny's body, paying careful attention to both nipples. When Steve moved further south again, Danny's eyes rolled and his body arched to meet Steve's mouth. **

"**It's okay Danno; I've got you. Do you know how good you taste? I've never done this for any man but you. I've never wanted any man before you." Steve knew how to apply just the right amount of suction, when to use his tongue, how to use his teeth. Danny was almost over the edge when Steve reached into the bedside table drawer. He spent a long time making sure that Danny was ready for him.**

**When Steve slid into Danny, it felt like he was coming home. He kept his strokes slow and deep. Steve knew that Danny was close, but Steve tried to hold out for a little longer. He was succeeding until Danny pulled him down for a searing kiss. The rest was a blur to Steve. He felt Danny tense, and that was all Steve needed to go over the edge with him. They were so in sync sometimes that it was scary.**

**They talked for a long time later, curled up together naked under the sheet. They talked about how Grace was no longer a little girl. She would spend all night on her computer or phone texting her friends if her parents hadn't set strict limits. And Steve and Danny invariably had her during those PMS days. Steve idly wondered if somehow they couldn't adjust their schedules so she was with Rachel and Stan for those awful two or three days a month, at least occasionally. Last month was so bad that Grace was grounded for a weekend.**

**Jack was also developing his own personality and he had his own tricks. In addition to peeing on Steve's shirts every opportunity he got, Jack liked to flirt with pretty women. Steve was afraid take him to the grocery store without Danny. Apparently a handsome man with an equally charming baby is a real chick magnet, and one woman followed them out of the store so she could pass her phone number to Steve. She didn't care when he held up his left hand to show his ring. He finally told her that his partner Danny was trained in martial arts and didn't like to share, and that in any case, she really wasn't his type. **

**They slept for a while and made love again when they woke. Danny was on top this time. Jack woke with a wet diaper and empty belly as usual at 6 a.m. Steve let Danny sleep and went in to take care of Jack. For a change, Jack wasn't ready to go back to bed when the bottle was empty. "What's the matter, Jack? Do you need some extra Daddy time?"**

**Steve padded downstairs with Jack and put the empty bottle in the sink. It was cool in the house, so Steve pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and settled in the recliner. Steve threw the blanket over his bare shoulders and around Jack. The beating of Steve's heart eventually lulled Jack back to sleep. **

**Steve dozed off too and was still asleep when Danny came down a couple of hours later. He smiled at the sight of the two dark-haired males sleeping in the recliner. "I guess it's called a Lazy Boy for a reason." Danny made coffee and scrambled some eggs for French toast. The smell of fresh coffee woke Steve.**

"**Happy New Year, Danno." Steve came into the kitchen carrying Jack and pulled Danny in for a morning hug. Danny returned the hug and kissed little Jack. "I can take care of breakfast if you want to take Jack. What are we having?"**

"**How does French toast sound? Come here little man. And you, you big goof, put a shirt on. There's some in the dryer." So the McGarrett-Williams started the new year with a quiet family day. Stan, Rachel, Grace, and Charlie came over for pot roast later in the afternoon. Then it was back to work for Five-0.**

**In February, they were brought in on a particularly vicious case. Young teenage girls were the target of a sexual predator who used the internet to target his victims. HPD was handling the case until the body of the third girl was found. The other girls survived their attacks but had been unable to identify their attacker. **

**The case hit Steve and Danny hard because Grace was only a little younger than the victims. It was their most demanding case since Jack's birth, and the first time that either father spent the night away from their son. Rachel volunteered to take Jack until the case was over. **

**Late on the third day, they finally got a break and tracked their perp to a Starbucks where he was waiting for another victim. Rachel offered to keep Jack for the night so that Steve and Danny could get some sleep. Neither dad could go another day without seeing their son. **

**Jack woke up when Danny put him in his car seat. The grin he flashed was so McGarrett. "Hey Jack, it's just your wayward daddies coming to take you home." Jack stayed awake long enough for Steve and Danny to shower and eat a bowl of soup. Jack slept only after Steve fed him a half bottle of formula. Danny coaxed a burp out of Jack and put him in the crib. Jack was asleep by the time Steve and Danny made it to their bedroom.**

**They all slept late the next morning. The men weren't due at HQ until after lunch and would free for the rest of the week as soon as the paperwork was filed. By popular demand, they decided to spend the weekend at the cabin. Grace had a party on Saturday night and opted to stay with her mom in the city. **

**Jack was becoming more mobile so the dads had to keep a closer eye on him in the cabin. It was too cool to take Jack in the lake, but the weather was nice for hiking. Steve carried Jack in a baby backpack while Danny followed behind them, making faces at Jack to keep him amused. Steve was so pleased that Jack enjoyed their hikes until he turned to say something to Danny and saw why Jack was laughing. **

**Mom and Dad made it back to Hawaii for their winter vacation. This time, their focus was spending time with their grandson more than sight-seeing. They made plans to travel to New Jersey for a week in the summer. Steve suggested that they spend a couple of days in L.A. visiting Mary to break up the trip for Jack. He flew enough to know that babies on a long plane ride could be really difficult.**

**Joe had moved to Oahu in early March. He occasionally worked with Five-0 when they needed an extra man; he also learned how to change diapers so that he could help out with Jack. Jack was as close to grandchildren as Joe would get. None of his marriages produced children, something that didn't bother him much until he watched Steve and Danny with Jack.**

**It appeared that there would be more playmates in the future for Jack. Chin and Malia were expecting, as were Stan and Rachel. Danny was a little surprised that Rachel agreed to have another child after the rough time she had after Charlie's birth. Rachel told Danny that she thought a lot of it was due to the instability of her marriage to Stan at that time. **

**Their marriage was on strong ground now, and Stan had encouraged her to have another baby. The resort he managed had an overall 90% occupancy rate even in the weak economy, and his salary and bonuses afforded the Edwards a very comfortable lifestyle. This time around, they resisted the constant round of country club parties and events. Most of their social life existed around their children and extended family.**

**By the time that winter ended in March, Jack was eating rice cereal and fruits and crawling. Steve had quite a few more grey hairs as he chased after their speedy son. Steve finally figured out how to change Jack's without getting hosed down, but Jack had a new trick. He loved blowing raspberries particularly when Steve was feeding him cereal. **

**It was difficult for Steve to be angry with Jack, although it seemed that they did laundry every other day. Danny offered to handle the solid food duties, but Steve enjoyed the challenge. Jack was already wearing 12 months sized clothes; it seemed that Jack was going to be tall like Steve. **

**Danny knew that he would end up being the shortest in the family. Grace was already almost as tall as he was, and she hadn't quite topped off in height. Well, he was used to it. His sisters were a couple of inches taller than Danny, and Mattie towered over him. **

**Life for the McGarrett-Williams was like life for most people. They had good days; they had bad days. They were dedicated to keeping Hawaii safe for their family and all the families who lived there. Sometimes, the brutality of what they saw at work was almost too much to carry around. It was Grace and Jack who gave them balance and enabled them to face another day.**


	9. Spring 2014

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Spring 2014**

It was bound to happen. Oahu isn't such a large island, and navy personnel are quick to take advantage of the beach and shops during furlough. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in early May. Steve and Danny were shopping with Jack at one of the local market places which offered a variety of locally crafted wares. Mom's birthday was coming up, and they wanted to surprise her with something nice.

After browsing through the second shop, Jack became impatient to be trapped in his stroller. Steve offered to take Jack down by the park so he could roam free for a bit. Steve was sitting under a tree watching Jack crawl in the grass when Catherine spotted them. She heard that Steve resigned his commission, and now she was sure that she was looking at the reason for it.

From where she was standing, she could see that the baby had dark curly hair and Steve's smile. Catherine watched father and son play for a few minutes. The baby crawled too far from his father, and Steve gracefully rose to chase after him. Steve lifted the baby high over his head and blew raspberries on his belly. Then he settled back on the grass with the baby sitting on his legs. Catherine could hear the sweet baby laughter from her vantage point.

She had a few minutes before she needed to meet with her date (a man who wasn't nearly as handsome or charming as Steve). Catherine didn't mean to go over for a closer look, but her feet had a mind of their own. Steve didn't look up as she approached. He was too engrossed in a game of peek-a-boo with his son.

"He's beautiful, Steve." The words came out before Catherine could stop them. There was a time early in their relationship that Catherine dreamed of dark-haired babies with hazel eyes. Catherine held onto the dream even as she realized that Steve would never compromise his career for family life. Guess she was wrong about that one.

"Cath, I didn't realize you were back in town." Steve started to get up, but Catherine waved him down. Instead she joined him on the grass.

"I heard that you left the Navy. I wondered what happened that would cause you to resign. I guess that I'm looking at him." Catherine reached over to run her fingers through the curly hair.

"Catherine Rollins, meet John Daniel McGarrett-Williams, a.k.a. Jack. He's 8 ½ months old." The look of pride on Steve's face almost broke Catherine's heart.

Catherine put on her bravest smile and shook hands with the baby. "Jack, it's a pleasure to meet you." Then her composure slipped. "So, did you knock Danny up or something?"

Steve remembered their last conversation and saw the hurt and confusion on Catherine's face now. "We used a surrogate. Jack has my DNA, but Danny and I are both his father."

Catherine realized how bitchy her comment sounded and rubbed her forehead in frustration. She really thought that she was over Steve McGarrett, but judging from the way that the sight of Steve playing with his son made her feel, it was obvious that she still had issues.

"I'm sorry, Steve. That didn't come out right. I'm guess that I'm still struggling with the concept of you and Danny raising a daughter. I never thought about you and a baby in the same sentence. What in the hell made you want to have a baby? When we were together, I got the impression that your screwed-up childhood made you unwilling to have a family."

Steve leaned over to touch her hand. "Cath, so much has changed. When I let Danny and Grace in, I started to remember the good parts of my childhood. Eventually, I accepted Dad's actions and forgave him. Danny's ex had a baby a couple of years ago. Because our family situation is a little unconventional, Danny and I took care of him sometimes. It didn't take long before I realized that I wanted a baby with Danny. Wait, that didn't come out right. I wanted Danny and me to have a baby of our own. He agreed, and about a year later, Jack was born."

Catherine could see that Jack had Steve's eyes. "He's the image of you."

Steve laughed and shook his head. "He's me all right. I wish I had a dollar for every shirt he's peed on or decorated with his food. But you never do that to Danno, do you Jack?" Jack giggled as Steve tickled his belly.

Danny was walking towards the park to find Steve and Jack; he found just the right thing for Mom's birthday and was ready for some family time. He stopped short when he saw Steve and their son with Steve's former girlfriend. His first emotion was jealousy; Catherine Rollins knew Steve for a lot longer than Danny and shared some of his military experiences. Then Danny realized that he was being petty. Catherine may have known Steve longer, but she never claimed his heart and soul the way Danny did.

Steve loved Danny enough to leave the Navy and raise a baby with him. Steve loved him enough to spill as many of his secrets as national security permitted. Steve loved him enough to make a 'til death do us part' kind of commitment.

Danny surveyed the situation a little less emotionally now, and he could see that Steve was in an awkward situation. Well, it's Danno to the rescue. "There you are. Oh, I didn't know that you were in town, Catherine. It's nice to see you again."

Catherine laughed, a little bitterly this time. "No, it's probably not. Don't worry, Danny. He never looked at me the way he looks at you. Congratulations on the baby. He's beautiful. Steve, I think that the next time I see you out like this, I'll probably go the other way. Have a nice life."

Catherine rose walked away before either man could see the tears welling up in her eyes. She'd be damned if they saw her cry. Catherine remembered the times that Steve was missing or injured. She cried buckets of tears over him since the day they met. All those years, she consoled herself with the idea that Steve just wasn't able to give her more than a night or extended weekend. Now it was clear that she just wasn't enough to inspire him to give more.

And fuck, now her date would be a disaster. It wasn't like she was enamored of her date of the day. He was handsome, almost pretty, and he was polished. He knew what to say, and he was pretty good in bed. Somehow, he seemed dull now compared to her SEAL.

Danny watched Catherine stalk away and felt small for his earlier jealousy. All she had left was her career. And while Steve would tell him that they were never anything more than good friends with benefits, Danny knew that Catherine had always hoped for more. He imagined seeing Steve with their son was a very bitter pill to swallow.

Danny carefully lowered himself to the grass so that his thigh bumped against Steve's. "Are you okay babe?" He rubbed Steve's leg in comfort as Steve cuddled Jack close.

"I never meant to hurt her Danno. I thought she knew that there would never be more between us."

"Yeah, but it was probably easier to swallow when she believed that there would never be more with anyone for you. You and I have what she hoped for someday. It's not your fault Steve. You never promised her anything more." Danny leaned into Steve and ran his hand down Jack's back.

Steve took the comfort offered and tried to imagine how his life would be if he had made a commitment with Catherine. He imagined that she would have tried for shore duty at Pearl, but would she have been willing to resign her commission? From the look on her face, she apparently wanted children.

Steve tried to picture Catherine living in his home, sitting on the other side of the breakfast table in the morning. No, he just couldn't see it. He knew it was because his didn't want her in every part of his life the way that he wanted Danny.

"I never wanted this with her Danny. I could never see it. I didn't see it with you either at first. You were just larger than life. You not only filled the empty spaces in my life, you even filled all the little cracks I wasn't aware of. When you weren't around, I was very irritable. It took me a while to figure out that I was in Danno withdrawal. The worst part about being in prison was that I couldn't be with you. Even when I thought that you and Rachel were together, I needed to be with you."

"Yeah, even when I thought that I was going to be moving back to Jersey with Rachel and Grace, the idea didn't shine the way that I thought it should. I guess I knew even then that it wouldn't work out for some reason or another. I knew that I would miss you. I guess I was hoping that Rachel would relent and let us move back to Hawaii. Isn't that a kick in the teeth?"

Steve laughed and hugged Danny. "We were pretty screwed up back then, weren't we?"

"What do you mean were? Do you want to see what we bought for Mom?" Danny thought it was time that they changed the subject. It unsettled him to think what would have happened if he had boarded that jet at the airport with Rachel and Grace. Would Steve still be in jail or more likely killed by another inmate? And Charlie still wouldn't have been his. The reconciliation would have been short-lived in any case.

Danny brought the pretty silver bracelet out to show Steve. Mom loved dainty jewelry, or baubles as her husband called them. The men decided to take Jack for some shave ice, now that he was old enough to sample human food.

Grape was his favorite flavor, and Steve laughed when Jack's tongue turned purple. Jack had a healthy appetite and ate mostly whatever Steve and Danny fixed for their meals. On the evenings that they had food inappropriate for young baby, they relied on baby food from the supermarket. Jack hated baby food and made his distaste known by pushing it out faster than Steve or Danny could shovel it in.

Later that evening after Jack went to bed, Steve and Danny sat on the lanai. The sun was setting, and they enjoyed the rosy colors painted across the horizon. In a little while, they would go in to watch the Yankees game DVR'd from earlier in the day. Then they would go upstairs and most likely make love.

Danny broke the silence first. "I guess we're an old married couple. Here we are on a Saturday night. The night is definitely young. We could be out at the bar having drinks, or maybe at the movies. Instead, we're on the back porch watching the sunset while our son sleeps upstairs."

"It's a pretty good life, isn't it?" Steve started laughing when he thought about it. It was so normal. When did his life get to be normal? And why was it so much better than it sounded?

"Yes Steven, it is. We could mix it up a little. Instead of watching the game and going up later, we could go up first and come down later to watch the game."

Steve leaned over to touch his lips to Danny's. The kiss was so good that Steve went back for another. The impromptu make-out session caused them to miss the sunset and the baseball game. Once Steve led Danny upstairs, they never did make it back to the living room.

Grace went to New Jersey with them the week after she got out of school for the summer. The Williams family was thrilled to meet the newest member of their extended family. Jack tolerated the long plane ride tolerably well. Jack became restless halfway through the flight. He was passed from Steve to Danny to Grace in an effort to keep him occupied. All were ready for a long nap by the time that they parked in the Williams' driveway.

Steve insisted on taking the family to a Yankees game. He bought a t-shirt and baseball cap for Jack at the fan shop at the stadium. They visited the Jersey shore because Danny wanted Jack to dip his toes in the Atlantic Ocean. God knows that Steve had him in the Pacific Ocean when he was old enough to be exposed to the salt water. Steve and Danny had a night on the town while his parents doted over Jack. They were amazed how much he had changed since they saw him in February. And he was such a smart little boy. Of course, they weren't biased, much.

The visit with Mary on the layover in L.A. went well also. Sadly, her engagement to Scott didn't pan out. She felt very much at loose ends as she watched Steve with his family. They were both so dysfunctional after their dad sent them away that she believed they would never form any deep relationships with others. Somehow, it didn't seem right that Steve was the one to find a way to be with someone.

The vacation was much needed after the cases they had covered this year. Steve and Danny tried their best to get home in time to have dinner with their children, even if it meant doing research or paperwork after the kids were in bed. Some weeks, there weren't enough hours in the day to get their jobs done and spend time with Grace and Jack.

Steve finally called a Five-0 meeting at their home one night. Spouses or significant others were invited, and pizza and beer were shared (except for Malia who was pregnant). Max was included because he was an integral part of their team. When the pizza boxes were empty and Jack was tucked in his crib, Steve called the meeting to order.

"Chin, Kono, Max, thanks for coming tonight. Malia, I'm happy that you came too. Charlie, I think your input will be helpful too. For a while now, I've been thinking that the team is overtaxed. Some of the cases take days or weeks to solve. We've been using HPD to fill in, but we don't always have good luck with that. I think that it's time to expand the team. We'll be doing most of the field work, but we can use some additional hands. The governor had agreed to fund the positions. I will be the first to admit that it's partly selfish on my part. I'd like to stop working 60-hour weeks."

Steve paused to gauge the reaction of his team. Danny already knew the subject of the meeting, and he was in total agreement. Steve could see that Chin was interested.

"Who picks the new members?" Kono didn't want the current dynamics of the team to be screwed up. They all knew that they could count on each other. It would be difficult for a newcomer to step into such a close knit team.

"I'm taking recommendations, and I have a couple of my own. When I pare it down to a few candidates, I'll be coming back to you for feedback. The chief and the governor will need to sign off, but our relationship with HPD is good enough now that I don't anticipate any problem."

Chin and Mali endorsed the idea. Charlie watched Five-0 operate over the last few years and knew how hard that Kono worked. He also knew that the danger of injuries grew when people were fatigued. Max was reluctant to introduce more people into his life, but even he had to agree that it was time.

"Okay, then we have an agreement. As soon as this next case is over, the next order of business is to add to our team." Steve was relieved to have the meeting over. He was exhausted, as were the others. After the last car drove off, Steve locked up and set the alarm.

Danny was already in the shower when Steve went into the bedroom. He joined Danny in the shower, but only because he knew that if he sat down, he would be out for the night. Danny could see the fatigue on Steve's face. "Turn around babe. I'll do your back."

Steve rested his head on the tile. "Thanks Danno. I never thought that I would say this, but I just need to sleep now."

In minutes, they clean and dry. A few minutes after that, they were in bed. They curled up and Danny stroked Steve's back. "Sleep now Steve. We have all the time in the world for the rest later."


	10. Summer 2014

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Summer 2014**

Five-0 celebrated the 4th of July in the McGarrett-Williams backyard and watched the fireworks that evening by the beach. They still had the weekend ahead of them, and they all planned on getting plenty of rest.

Steve had over a dozen files locked up in his desk at work, candidates for the expansion slots on their team. Everyone had an idea about who would be a good addition to the team. Even the chief threw a file on Steve's desk last week. Steve scheduled a staff meeting for early Monday with the team to hash out some basics.

For now, Steve was happy to have the chance to sleep in on Saturday morning. Jack had a long day yesterday and was sleeping late. Jack could walk now as long as he had something or someone to hang onto. Steve's back ached from stooping over to hold Jack's hands. He couldn't resist when Jack looked up at him and demanded 'gain dada'. His vocabulary included the typical demands of up, down, no, and more. Both Steve and Danny were dada.

Danny rolled over to spoon behind Steve. His face was a little red from too much sun, and his hair spiked up on one side. Danny threw his arm over Steve and was running his hand over Steve's abs. It should have been arousing but it was more comforting instead. Steve dozed off until he heard Jack jumping in his crib.

Jack was waiting for Steve or Danny to get him. His diaper was wet, but he was willing to wait on breakfast if it meant a cuddle in bed with his daddies. Jack smiled and put his arms up to hug Steve.

"Hey little man. You let Danno and me sleep in this morning. You are such are good boy, and you are growing up way too fast for me." Steve efficiently stripped off the wet diaper and fastened the dry one without getting peed on. It had been a while since Jack got him, but Steve still didn't trust his son. Steve pulled up the pants of the summer-weight pajamas and blew raspberries on the baby belly before tucking in the pajama tops.

When Steve put Jack down on the end of the bed, Jack crawled up to give Danny a slobbery kiss. Danny caught their son up in a hug and tickled him. "Jack, my man, you kiss just like your dad." Jack's sweet baby laughter filled the room. Steve crawled up after Jack and kissed Danny with a little more finesse than his son.

Danny missed the times Grace joined them on Saturday morning like this, but she was growing up quickly. Grace was spending most of July in England with Rachel's family. Danny knew the time was coming when Grace would want to hang out with her parents less and with her friends more. Unlike after the divorce, he couldn't blame her absence on Rachel and Stan. It was just what happened when your children grow up.

Danny watched Steve play with Jack and was grateful to have both in his life now. He was yanked back to moment when Jack pulled on his chest hair. Steve's was fine enough that Jack couldn't grab a handful but Danny was a little more endowed in that area.

"Ouch! Jack, let go." Danny carefully extracted his hair out of Jack's little fingers. He tickled Jack's belly as a diversion and slid out of bed long enough to slip on some clothes. When Jack started to fuss, they knew it was time for breakfast.

Steve fixed sausages and pancakes while Danny supervised Jack's snack of diced bananas and pineapple. Jack was adept at picking up the small cubes and putting them in his mouth. When the grownup food was ready, Steve cut a piece of sausage and a pancake up for Jack. Jack still enjoyed taking a bottle, but he took a lot of his liquid from a Sippy cup.

Jack sat on the floor play with a pot and wooden spoon while Steve and Danny cleaned the kitchen up. He loved banging the spoon on the pot, much to Steve's amusement. "Hey Danno, do you think that we should get him a set of drums for his first birthday?"

Danny could only roll his eyes. "Are you serious? It's not like we don't make enough noise. The neighbors will sign a petition to get us evicted."

"They can't evict us because we don't have a mortgage. Okay, maybe drums aren't a good idea. How about a little baby surfboard? He can learn to walk and surf at the same time."

"Now just quit it. I know you're just trying to give me a heart attack. And for your information, I think he's going to be walking on his own before his birthday. He navigates pretty well now, and sometimes I see him just standing there without holding on to anything. Then we'll really have to watch out."

"You think so? He is pretty smart, isn't he? His fine motor control is above average too." Steve was inordinately proud every time Jack learned a new skill, no matter if it was a desirable skill or not. One weekend, Jack figured out how to take off his diaper. He managed to pee on the inside of Steve's favorite pair of combat boots before Steve caught him.

Danny laughed the hopeful look on Steve's face. "Yes, he's a little genius. I'm sure he's going to give me fits with his science experiments."

"Danny, did I ever tell you about the time that I tried to fly off the roof? Or about the rocket I was sure would fly into outer space?" Steve closed his eyes and tried to remember his dad's exact words when he grounded Steve.

"Steve, please don't ruin the weekend for me. That time will come soon enough. What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. Why don't we talk about it while we make the bed and straighten up the house?" It didn't take long to finish their chores. Steve wanted to go for his morning swim and maybe play in the surf with Jack, but it was too soon after breakfast. Danny suggested maybe they could wash the car and truck instead.

It took twice as long with Jack's help, but both vehicles were gleaming when they were finished. Danny took Jack in the house for some milk and fruit while Steve took his swim. Then Danny changed their clothes for time in the water. Jack wore a toddler-sized life jacket and a swim diaper. He loved the water and only blinked when his faced slipped below the water. They played for almost an hour when Jack showed signs of fatigue.

Steve and Danny showered the salt water off with Jack between them. They quickly dried off and dressed. Jack barely made it through lunch before he nodded off. Steve led Danny back to their room for their own rest period, only what Steve had in mind wasn't very restful. Between the long hours at work and the demands of fatherhood, their sex life had taken a hit. Now was a good time to re-kindle the romance with Danny.

Steve nudged the door closed and pulled Danny in for a long kiss. He broke contact only long enough for them to pull their clothes off. He backed Danny over to the bed and they moved to the center of the bed. "Danny, I've missed you. Let me touch you. I want to take my time and taste you."

Steve moved over Danny dropped open-mouthed kisses on Danny's body. He sucked and teased with his teeth. Danny felt like he was on fire everywhere Steve's mouth was. He raked his fingers through Steve's short hair. "Steve, I need to touch you."

Steve moved up to kiss Danny. Danny's hands moved over Steve, staking his claim on his lover. Danny had enough foreplay and wanted to move to the main event. Steve seemed content to let Danny stop on top. When Danny slipped into Steve, he needed to stop momentarily to catch his breath. This physical connection with Steve always took his breath away.

Steve moved first, unable to lie still any longer. Danny took the hint and withdrew before thrusting deeper. Twice, Danny stopped in an effort to prolong the sensations. Steve became impatient and flipped Danny so that he was on the bottom. Now Steve was free to set the pace. He rode Danny hard, taking them both over the edge together. Steve slumped over but tried to keep his full weight off Danny.

They found a comfortable position on their sides facing each other. They kissed for a while and indulged in some pillow talk. It was wonderful being in bed when they weren't so exhausted. Steve suggested a new place for dinner. They could go early before the crowds hit. Jack was patient to sit through dinner as long as it didn't last overly long.

Jack woke up just as Steve and Danny dressed. Jack enjoyed a mid-afternoon snack and a game of catch on the living room floor with his dads. Jack practiced walking between Steve and Danny. He could stand easily enough, but usually lost his balance when he made his first step. It frustrated him, but he kept at it.

It took another month before Jack mastered walking. Steve and Danny were playing with Jack in the backyard one evening when he stood and covered the distance to Steve. He laughed as Steve tossed him in the air. "Jack, you did it! You're walking!" Danny grabbed the camera to record the event for their family in New Jersey.

Steve and Danny threw a family birthday party for Jack's first birthday. Chin came with Malia. Kono brought Charlie. The Edwards came, as did Emelina and her family. Max, Kamekona, Joe, and Leah came. Even their newest Five-0 members came.

Shane Cook and Jessica Elliot were just past their 30-day probationary period with the team, but they fit in so well that it seemed much longer. Jesse, as she preferred to be called, was super smart and a whiz on systems. She worked for a consulting firm out of college but wanted something more in a job. HPD gave her that, and the opportunity to work for Five-0 was too good to pass up. She was part of Steve's workout group, so he was sure that she could handle the physical aspects of the job. She usually paired with Danny or Chin when they were out investigating.

Shane spent some time in the Army before joining HPD. He was originally from Michigan and wanted to live somewhere warmer. He was trained in martial arts and could be as scary as Steve when he wanted to be. Fortunately for Danny, he was a little more level-headed than Steve was earlier in their partnership. He also had a sharp memory and was good at puzzles. Steve was working with him the field for now until Steve had a better handle on Shane's capabilities. So far, Steve was very impressed with both newcomers.

The new members to the team resulted in fewer overtime hours for the others, so Steve and Danny were mostly well-rested for the birthday party. Jack was too young to understand what a birthday was or why he had so many new toys. Jack knew cake when he saw it, and he was covered in chocolate cake by the end of the meal. Then he decided to share his treat with Steve, and Steve was soon covered in cake too.

Jesse and Shane were still trying to reconcile the image of the head of Five-0 with the man they came to know and respect. Steve showed easy affection with all of them, but out of the office, he clearly loved his family. Steve and Danny hosted a cookout at their home when Shane and Jesse joined Five-0 so they could all get acquainted. Little Jack charmed them, as did their new boss with his family.

Now they watched as Danny tried in vain to clean Jack up. Finally, he stripped the baby of everything but his diaper so Steve could clean him up under the outdoor shower. It was a simple affair that Steve rigged up when Jack showed a talent for getting sand in all sorts of inventive places. It tapped into both hot and cold water so that they could wash Jack off outside without getting him chilled.

Steve stood under the shower with Jack in his arms and shampooed out the cake crumbs from Jack's short hair. It had grown long and curly over the months, so Steve suggested that shorter hair would be cooler for Jack in the hot weather. It nearly broke Danny's heart when Steve buzzed the hair close on the sides and a little longer on top. He collected a couple of the curls for Jack's baby book. Now under the shower, Jack's resemblance to Steve was unmistakable. They even had the same cowlicks.

Danny was waiting to wrap Jack in a towel, while Chin threw a dry towel to Steve. They all ducked into the house for dry clothes. Danny emerged a short time later with Jack dressed in his summer pajamas. He had a small bottle of milk. Jack was down to one bottle at night, and Steve and Danny took turns giving it to Jack. Tonight was Danny's turn.

Steve lit the tiki torches when he came out. It was a Saturday night, so the crowd would tend to stay late. Charlie would bunk down in Jack's room until Stan and Rachel were ready to leave. Grace was staying with Steve and Danny this week, and she would probably stay up until the party was over.

When the last torch was lit, Steve turned to face their guests, their ohana. There was Danny cuddling a sleeping Jack, coaxing a burp out of him. Grace was holding a sleepy Charlie. Rachel and Stan were dancing to the music playing in the background. Chin was rubbing Malia's feet; she was due in a couple of weeks and her feet were swollen. Charlie and Kono were playing cards with Joe and Max. Others were in clusters discussing movies, ball games, and any number of other topics.

Steve was amazed at the life he had now with Danny, Grace, and Jack. He remembered the day almost four years ago when he returned to bury his father. Steve smiled when he thought of his dad walking on the beach with his mom now. He never expected to have family again, which made life now even sweeter.

Danny signaled to Steve that it was time to take Jack up to bed. Steve followed Danny into the house and up the stairs. Danny kissed his son's cheek before passing him to Steve. Steve sat in the rocker and cuddled with Jack. There was so much he wanted to tell their son. There would be plenty of time for sage words of wisdom. For tonight, it was short and sweet. "Happy birthday Jack. Daddy loves you."


	11. Summer 2018

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

**Summer 2018**

It's the first week of August again, and Danny still hasn't reconciled with the Hawaiian school calendar. He remembers all the times that he waited for Grace to get out of class. He's not here with Steve to pick up Grace today. She is a junior in high school now and drove home after class. This week she is living with Stan and Rachel, but Danny knows that she is waiting at their home this afternoon. Today is Jack's first day of kindergarten.

Steve and Danny worked a short day today so that they could drop him off in the morning and pick him up this afternoon. It was fortunate that it was a slow day at Five-0, because Papa Steve was an absolute mess. Danny wasn't sure why, because Jack already had two years of nursery school under his belt. He got along well with the other kids in spite of being taller than most of them. That didn't keep Steve from obsessing about sending their son off to the cold world of academia.

Jack was so cute this morning in his uniform of blue polo shirt and khaki pants. He had his little backpack that held his school supplies and lunch. He kept his hair short and was the image of Steve at that age. Jack's understanding of the unconventional configuration of his family was still a little murky. He knew that he looked like his Daddy Steve, and he had several of his mannerisms. He often stood with his hands on his hips like Steve did, and he often tugged up the right side of his pants even though he didn't have a gun and holster pulling that side down.

Yet in so many ways, he was Danny too. Jack was a Yankees fan, he talked with his hands, and he did not like pineapple on his pizza. Jack was also quick to tell his family exactly how he felt about anything and everything. His early test scores gave him high marks in vocabulary.

Leah still took care of Jack at home when he wasn't at school. Since someone was home a lot of the time, Steve relented to his children's pleas for a dog. They visited the local pound one weekend and found a mixed breed that seemed to be part Labrador retriever and part some other indeterminate breed. His name was Drexel, and he was already well trained by his former owners who were transferred overseas unexpectedly. The owners didn't not want to put him through the trip and quarantine.

Jack and Drex (as Jack called him) were constant companions, along with Charlie, Andy (Charlie's little brother), and Kekoa (Chin and Malia's son). The boys were different ages, but the bigger kids always watched out for the smaller kids. The fort that Steve and Danny spent a long weekend constructing was a favorite hangout for the boys, and Drex stood guard to make sure they stayed out of the water unless an adult was with them.

Jack thought of the boys as his brothers, even though they didn't live under the same roof. He knew that Grace was his sister, and that Charlie and Andy were her brothers. That surely meant that they were his brothers as well. Jack knew that Kekoa wasn't really his brother, but he didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him that. So Kekoa was a brother too. The boys usually spent the night together at one of their homes at least once or twice a month.

The nights at the McGarrett-Williams were their favorite. Sometimes Steve pitched a tent and they camped out in the backyard. Sometimes they spent the weekend at the cabin (which Grace wisely opted out of) where Steve and Danny taught them how to fish. At night, Steve pointed out the constellations, and they had smores after supper.

It was so much more than either Steve or Danny ever imagined that day in the garage when they drew their weapons. They visited Danny's family every summer, and Mom and Dad came for a winter vacation every February. They hosted festive meals every Thanksgiving and Christmas, still including the occasional stray serviceman or servicewoman left on base.

They were working under a new governor after Governor Denning decided not to run again. The new man was content to let Steve run Five-0 as he saw fit. Steve mellowed over the years, and it had been a long time since he exhibited any Neanderthal tendencies (as Danny called them). Shane and Jesse were now seasoned veterans who were breaking in the newest rookies to the squad.

Kono was still unmarried and currently dating a local businessman. He was very rich, very handsome, and very much in love with Kono. Kono was doing her best to resist his charm, but Steve and Danny knew it was just a matter of time. Kono was in love with him also, but she didn't think he would tolerate a cop's life. Only time would tell if the relationship blossomed into something more permanent.

Max surprised them all when he married last year. A teacher from the mainland spending her summer vacation on the islands caught his eye. She was an average looking woman who saw behind the nerdish tendencies and slightly awkward social interactions. It was love at first sight, and Max proposed the week before she was due to go home. They were married a week later, and although they hadn't announced it, Danny suspected that they had a baby on the way.

Grace had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. She made the honor roll at school, excelling in math and science. In fact, she won the science fair last year at school with Steve as her mentor. She was dating now, and either Steve or Danny made it a habit to meet her dates wearing their badges and guns. Of course, Steve taught Grace enough self-defense moves to make sure that she could stop an overeager suitor without much difficulty.

They had their rough patches. Danny had almost as many white hairs as Steve from teaching Grace to drive. Strangely enough, Steve still couldn't ride with her. He claimed it was too nerve-wracking, but Danny knew that Grace's driving scared Steve silly. Danny figured it didn't bother him as much after so many years of riding with Steve.

Then there was the phone call they received late one weekend. It was shortly after Grace turned 17, and Rachel let her take the Lexus out to go to the movie with friends. Grace's friends talked her into going for a drive by the beach after the movie, and she lost control of the vehicle. No one was seriously injured, and the second call Grace made (after 911) was to Steve and Danny.

Danny was sick when he saw the wreckage. The Lexus hit a barricade on the shore side of the ride before slamming into a tree on the opposite side. All the airbags deployed, and it took the firemen over thirty minutes to extract the girls from the back seat. Steve managed to calm the girls and Danny down before calling Rachel and Stan. Once he assured them that Grace and the other girls suffered only minor cuts and bruises, Rachel calmed down and agreed that maybe Stan should come to the scene while she stayed with Charlie and Andy.

HPD determined that excessive speed or alcohol was not involved; it was mostly a case of a young driver on a curvy road. Grace was still shaky behind the wheel, and she shied away from driving in the evening. Steve knew it would take time for Grace to regain her confidence, and as far as he was concerned, that was not necessarily a bad thing.

As Steve watched their son run to the car, he was struck for maybe the millionth time that Jack was such a miracle, their miracle. Jack gave a high-five to Danny and then to Steve. "Danno, I had the best day. I knew some of the kids in class already from my old school. The teacher was surprised that I could write my whole name. She called me John, but I told her that everyone calls me Jack like my Grandpa McGarrett."

The last part put a lump in Steve's throat. He tried to tell Jack about his late grandparents, and even found some old home movies in the attic. Steve had a local studio move them from film to DVD so Jack could watch them whenever he wanted to.

"That's great Jack because your old man here worried about you all day. I finally had him put his head on his desk and take a nap after lunch." Now that it was over, Danny couldn't resist teasing Steve.

Steve ignored him and picked Jack up for a big hug. "Don't listen to Danno. I knew that you would be fine. Did you eat all of your lunch?"

"Uh-huh, and I shared my apple slices with one of the other kids at my table. She shared her oatmeal cookies with me." Jack had inherited Steve's charm too.

Steve drove his family home where Grace was waiting to hear about Jack's day. They played in the water for a while before grilling out for supper. Grace was staying the night, so they watched a movie before Jack went to bed. Tomorrow things would be back to normal, or as close to normal as they got for the McGarrett-Williams home.

Later that evening, Steve and Danny sat on the lanai and drank a beer. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the cooler air and dazzling starlight. Steve was the first to break the silence.

"Before I met you, before this all began, I never thought about the future. I never thought beyond the current assignment. Now I can see so much ahead of us. Grace will graduate from high school in a couple of years. It won't be long before she goes to college. Some day you'll walk her down the aisle."

Steve waited for Danny to erupt at the thought of Grace with some guy. Instead he laughed. "Can you picture the father-daughter dance? It will have to be the extended-play version of some song because three of us will be dancing with Grace. I get first dibs, but you and Stan can arm wrestle to see who dances next."

"That means I'll go next. Stan has turned out to be a decent guy, but he's still a wimp. I can only imagine what the future holds for Jack. Today was just his first day of school. He has his whole life ahead of him. He did really well at t-ball this summer. I think he's picked up a lot of your skills."

"That's lucky for him. You still can't bat. I'm glad he likes school. We'll probably need to watch for the ADHD when he gets a little older. He's focused enough now, but from what I've read, it can be a problem in the higher grades."

"I managed well enough, although I had a problem concentrating during class. I was smart enough that I could pick up the material by reading the textbook or borrowing someone else's notes. I guess that I outgrew the worst of it by the time that I started at Annapolis. I still have to fight it, as you've noticed. My dad didn't understand my poor impulse control when I was Jack's age. He was hard on me then, and it frustrated me even further. I've tried to teach Jack the techniques I used to overcome the worst of it."

"I guess it must be working because he hasn't tried to fly off the roof yet."

"Danny, I hate to tell you that I was 13 when I tried that. I had wings and everything, but sadly I didn't fly. I did break my arm. It wasn't the first time."

"God help us! I was lucky to survive Grace's first accident. Should I ask what else I can expect?"

"Danno, you're better off not knowing. I know it sounds a little strange, but I think maybe this is a better environment for Jack than when I was growing up. He gets a lot of physical activity, and that helps to calm him enough to sleep at night and sit long enough to do his schoolwork."

"At least we know enough to watch for the signs and try to get help through it. Can you imagine what it's going to be like here when Jack's a teenager? This place is already the kids' favorite hangout. Our grocery bill will be enormous."

"At least we'll know where Jack is and what he's doing. We see a lot of bad stuff on the job. We know that even good kids go bad. Sometimes it's because mom or dad don't bother to pay attention to what the kids are up too. Jack will know that he won't get much past us. I just hope that he won't resent us for it."

"Babe, we're not doing our jobs if he doesn't resent us at some point. He'll get over it. We all did. Have I told you what a terrific Dad you are? It's not surprising because you were so great with Grace. But I wasn't sure how you would do with a baby or a toddler. You are so great with Jack and the rest of the kids. Probably it's because emotionally you're all about the same age."

"But you love me anyway, Danno." Steve leaned over to kiss Danny. He wanted to take Danny upstairs and make love to him. Even after over 7 years together, Steve still wanted Danny so much it scared him.

"Yes, I love you, you big goof. Are you ready to go in? You're eye-humping me, which is kind of silly because we can go upstairs and do it for real."

"Yes, I'm ready to go in. I love you too, Danny." Steve led Danny in and secured the house for the night. Together, they climbed the stairs and checked on Grace and Jack before they went to the bedroom.

It had been a stressful day for Steve, and Danny knew all the ways to help Steve calm down enough to get a good night's sleep. Having sex with Steve was a bonus. Over the years, they both sustained a multitude of injuries. It was part of the job. They took care of each other in sickness and in health. It was part of the vows they took last year when same sex marriage was legalized in Hawaii. This time, they had cake.

It made things easier for them when women hit on them. "Sorry, but I have a really jealous husband" usually stopped them in their tracks. They kept the same rings, marking this event with a tattoo instead. The tattoo pictured a phoenix rising from the ashes. The date of their first meeting was inked underneath. Danny said that was the day that he started his rise from the pit of despair he fell into after his divorce. Steve teased that Danny screamed like a girl when he got his, but even Steve had to admit the spot low on the front side of the hip was very tender skin.

Now when Steve saw the ink on Danny, it always made him smile. His Danno got it just for him. That day was the beginning of a new life for Steve too. He had been too long without family. Later that night after Danny fell asleep, Steve couldn't help thinking about the day. It seemed like just yesterday they brought Jack home from the hospital, and now he was starting school.

He remembered cuddling with Grace in his dad's recliner after his deployment that first year. He remembered her first boy-girl party and her first day of high school. He remembered the day Danny took a shot to the chest during a warehouse raid. Even with the Kevlar vest, Danny sustained serious bruising around the heart. They almost lost him that day.

Steve had his own close brushes with death. There was the knife wound that collapsed his lung and the head wound he sustained when members of a drug cartel jumped him outside HQ one night. He was on desk duty for months after that injury.

Danny stirred, sensing that Steve was still awake. "Go to sleep Steve. You've had a busy day, and tomorrow we get to do it all over again." He moved his hand up and down Steve's back, something that always relaxed Steve.

Steve smiled and gave Danny a soft kiss. "Yes we do, and thank God for that. We get to do it again."

_This is the final chapter of the McGarrett-Williams family, although I'll probably revisit them for one shots sometime in the future. Thanks to all my readers for your support over the last several months._


End file.
